Ride like the Wind
by JapanCat
Summary: AU 1849: California Gold Rush begins. Among the rush a catastrophe has emerged. To escape it Kurama escapes San Francisco to Mexico but when he gets stuck with Hiei some more trouble mixes. Add demonslayers exorcists and insanity. One hell of a ride here.
1. Ride Like The Wind

**Ride like the Wind**

_By: JapanCat (I'd be afraid if it weren't written by me...)_

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

**1849, Southern California**

It was almost midnight. He still rode through the blackness of the night, just as tired as his horse was. His green eyes stared off in the distance, hoping his destination was near.

"Almost there... I hope they don't still follow me there... And I hope you don't fall over in weakness..." he mumbled under his breath. _Thanks to that bounty, I can't stay home in San Francisco anymore. Hopefully I'm right in thinking they won't kill Mother with me gone..._

He mumbled to his horse again, "Hold on a few more hours. We'll be in Mexico by then..." _Or I hope so..._

The was the sound of hooves on the desert sand. They still pursued him!

"Get back 'ere ya bastard!" a bounty hunter growled, firing his gun and nearly missing his target's leg.

The red haired boy was kicked of his horse at that moment and he got up and stumbled away. _There's a river nearby. If I go in it..._

And he fell in without knowing it...

"Damn it!" the same bounty hunter growled, firing in the river. "He... That damn bastard got away! Damn it!"

"Calm yourself, Christopher... He won't get far. I know where this river leads to..." the speaker was an exorcist- a _demon_ that was an exorcist. His blue eyes smiled there dark smile. "And... I know a man who lives there. One I almost got years ago. A reunion with him wouldn't be so bad, yes?"

He narrowed his eyes. (The exorcist would have killed him for that if we was able to see this.) "Sure, Zeru. Sure..."

---

The fisherman yawned. "Well, let's see if I caught any fish today..." He tugged on his net. _This thing's heavy! Did I _actually _catch something for once?_

He tugged harder and pulled out, not a fish, but a _person_. The fisherman rose an eyebrow. _Is... Is he... Dead? What a waste. He barely looks fifteen or fourteen. Must not be a local either. His hair's red. What're these kids...?_

The red head twitched and sat up before he stared to cough up water. Between coughs, he asked, "Where... Where am I?"

"Where are you? Guess you really aren't from these parts. What the hell were you doing?"

"Eh... That doesn't really matter. I just need the town's name."

"Good luck finding that out. I don't think anyone here knows that."

"...Maybe I'm still in California..."

The fisherman raised his eyebrow again. "California? You kidding me?"

"Huh?"

"You're in Mexico. Come back two years ago and then we'll be organized. That war messed us up here."

"Mexi... I Made it!" His eyes lit up and he jumped to his feet.

"Made it? What, are you racing buddies at home 'r something?"

_I dunno if I can say anything about it..._ "Yeah..."

He sighed. "Damn kids..."

"...Um... I'm going to be here a while because I have to... Wait for my friends to show up and stuff. Can you help me out over here?"

"Say it like you mean it. And to think I believed you a while... I'm Suzaku. For reference."

"I'm Shuichi Minamino."

Suzaku eyed him for a second. "I think I might have something for you to do... Let's see what everyone has to say first."

"Huh? You mean like you're giving me a job?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. A job..."

"Sure..." _Should I be afraid?_

_---_

The bartender was cleaning a glass when Suzaku and Shuichi came into the bar. "'Ey Suzaku. Who's that girl? You finally find yourself a girlfriend?"

"No. It's a guy. But I thought he was a girl, too. He's an American. Californian."

"Huh. You mean like them forty-niners or whatever they call 'em?"

"Guess so. Dunno what the hell a kid like him's doin' in Mexico. School's still in."

"What do you think we're gonna do with him? He's not gonna solve our problem with them rich people."

A raspy, silent voice was heard from the corner. "I'll tell you what we'll do. We're gonna give him to the mayor."

Shuichi heard the bartender growl under his breath, "There's the devil's messenger."

If you saw him for the first time, you would have thought so, too. His ruby eyes growled ominously in the darkness. They were cold, filled with hatred... His hair was black as midnight with an outburst of white like a splash of water and defied gravity in spikes. His face looked emotionless. He was slightly muscular and his skin was slightly tanned. (_He spoke with no accent... Is he really American? And for that matter... Why is everyone here speaking English!_ Shuichi thought.) He looked like he was almost sixteen but he was really twenty-five!

The strange man continued, his voice colder now. He probably heard the bartender's comment. "We could give him to the mayor. He'll find a use for this idiot. If he's happy with him-don't see why he won't. Idiots like idiots.-he'll be lighter on us and maybe give the land he took back. Maybe lower the prices or something. If it's just the prices, we'll but it ourselves, share the land until we get all of it back. We're all happy."

"That's crazy talk!" the drunk, Chu, gasped with a hiccup.

"Better than what'd you come up with."

"So you mean we'll sell him as a man whore?" Koto, a female fox demon, asked.

The guy nodded. "Most likely."

"Can't you think of a better way to work things out with your mayor! You elected him.."

"Actually he threw himself on there. We don't get that damn thing you call democracy here that much. Why else do you think we're all pissed off about him?"

"H... But... Petition. That's simple."

"I'm one of the few people in this room who actually literate."

"How about..."

"You're ain't gonna get it easier than we planned. Get over it."

Shuichi shook his head and walked out. _I try to escape one mess and I get into another. Isn't that great? ...Mother..._

"Ho there, American!" A demon greeted him. He had flaming red hair that stuck out in messy spikes. He had childish ocean blue eyes and poking through his crimson locks was a small horn, about one inch in length. He looked like he was always smiling. (Shuichi would find later that he still appeared to be smiling when he was serious.) His ears were pointed at that moment, a fang sticking out of his mouth. He was actually twenty-three even though he had the spirit of someone much younger. "I'm Jin!"

"Um.. Hi?"

"I'm gonna introduce you to the... Poor side of town because those stupid rich people have like an invisible line between us. I looked! Really!"

"Sure..."

"I'm the town freak! I'm, from Ireland 'til... I guess my parents forgot me here. They took me here a long time ago and told me to stand on that corner over there and wait. So I waited and waited... And I'm still waiting! In fact I live on that corner!"

_How awful... He was abandoned and didn't realize it!_

"And Chu's the drunk and..."

"That guy."

"That guy? What guy? There's a whole bunch of guys here! I mean it's like...!"

"The one that said all that about the mayor."

"Hiei? He's my bestest best friend! And he's really sensitive about his height so don't say anything!"

"O... Okay."

Jin went on but Shuichi wasn't listening. _Hiei... Where have I heard... Wait... Wasn't there a person who killed people in New York and in Chicago named Hiei? Is he the same guy or am I thinking some else...?_

_---_

"Alright, moron. Let's go..." Hiei growled.

Shuichi stared for a while. "Oh. Right."

"Don't 'Oh. Right' me. Hurry the hell up. You should have been ready before I showed. You know what was coming."

"Right. Right..."

"Damn kid."

"Why're going on foot? Don't you have...?"

"Gone. Sold them so we could keep the land we have. Don't have it easy like you do. Barely able to survive. Or... Most of us are..."

_...Is that why he's so skinny...? He's been giving up his...?_

"Hurry the hell up!"

An hour passed in silence.

"Hey, out of curiosity, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Shuichi asked, mostly because he wanted to break the silence.

"Why? You gonna marry her?" Hiei asked.

"A sister?"

He sighed.

"Huh?"

"It's... No one. No mother. No father. No one left. I'm the last one."

"Why?"

"You ask too many questions."

"Sure..." _He's... He has no family? That kinda explains a lot. All I have in Mother... So if she does die, then I'll be all alone, too... I wonder how she's doing... I hope they didn't kill her... _"ACK!"

"I know you're stupid, but you should at least watch where you're going. Dumb ass."

"What's your problem! If you think I'm stupid, then why take me? Do you hate me being an American?"

"...I hate you. I hate you all. Just die already..."

"So why'd you...?"

"Shut the hell up before I shoot you. I don't give a damn if you have people at home. I'll do it and with little remorse, you hear? Go."

_Oh... I just touched a nerve I wasn't supposed to touch..._

He later wrote a note to his mother:

"_Dear mother,_

_I made it to Mexico. Well, I'm in a bigger mess. I'm supposed to see a mayor and I'm hoping I would be able to see you soon even if I have to go through this. The person taking me there is Hiei. I'm not sure I would have a pleasant trip. I feel I may be close to death here. I'll just hope I'm going to bee you. I hope things still go well for you..._

_Love, _

_Shuichi_"

**End Chapter 1**

Notes:  
1. "Come back... here."- California became part of the Untied States after the Mexico-American war which ended in 1848. It was started because Mexico and America argued over where the border should be set. America argued it be at the Rio Grande. Can't quite remember Mexico's argument.  
2.Forty-niners- miners who went to California in 1849  
3. "School's still in."- I don't quite remember how school worked out back then and don't intend on looking. I'll assume they had it the same as we do now.

Hi. You have just read the first chapter of Ride like the Wind. I worked really, really hard on it. Flame it if you want, but read it to the end and then flame it to I can laugh about that. Some of you might know me from other stories, if so, hey there! If this is the first of my stories you've read, welcome to my insanity.

I gave away an important point about this story that you might want to know in Battle of the Rising sun and in Yusuke the Detective. (In chapter 28 in the Detective one and 24 in the Sun one...) So yeah. Where's the romance? You'll find it later. Oh, and I have nothing to do with any organizations and this is a complete work of fiction. Some of it might have happened but don't use me as a reference for your report because I'm not getting sued for this. I have a few facts here and there but that's it.

Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated.


	2. I Shot The Sheriff

**Ride Like the Wind  
****Chapter 2**

_Bang!_

Shuichi shot up, screaming "I'm awake!"

Hiei rolled his eyes and sighed irritably. "You should've been awake a few hours ago."

"Really? What time is it?"

"The hell I know." He pointed to the sun. "What's that look like to you?"

"I dunno..." Shuichi looked at the bullet hole that had once been very close his head. "Hey... Why'd you shoot at me! You could have killed me you know! I thought you needed me."

"Who said _I_ needed you? _I'm_ not _needing_ you. I'm _using_ you as a way to help us get food in our stomachs. I've had to starve a weeks once because I gave up some food to some kids. If you want the town to starve that's your damn problem. Stay here."

"Why?"

"Take a leak."

"...Okay. Forget I asked."

As he walked away, Hiei growled under his breath, "Stupid bastard..."

Shuichi sighed. _So it's the second day of traveling. I guess Hiei really does have a problem with Americans... I wonder why. I mean, I know Mexico and America might not be on good terms with each other but that doesn't mean that... Hm... I wonder if it's because the mayor's American... No. That doesn't make any sense. Why would someone come from America just to be mayor? Wait... What it he said?_

"_It's... No one. No mother. No father. No one left. I'm the last one."_

Shuichi tugged a plant from the ground and stared at it, trying to think of the connection. _Maybe... Maybe...Maybe his family was _killed_ by Americans! I can't... Of course he would hate Americans if they killed his family! But... That's no reason for him to throw death threats at me! He barely even knows me! Would he say the same if he knew that I was...?_

---

Three hours passed so slowly that Shuichi didn't even know how much time had passed.

"...Am I sure he just left to do that? ...I bet he just left me behind... I fail to understand the logic in that but... Arg..." Shuichi ran in the direction he saw Hiei walk away in. "Hiei! Hey! Hiei!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!" he growled, walking to him, dragging his feet in frustration and dripping wet.

"What... What were you doing for so long? And... For that matter... Is that wat-" Shuichi was interrupted.

"I dunno where the hell you're mind's going! You know damn straight it's water!"

"I honestly hope so. I dunno what you'd be doing if you were still wet with..."

"Okay. Don't even finish that. Just tell me. What the hell were you screaming about? I don't see anyone else out here to get you. That's disappointing."

"I thought you were taking me to the mayor!"

"So now you _want_ your body sold to him?"

"No. How do you know he would want me to do that anyway?"

Hiei looked at him. "Hm. You're right. You look like a girl. The only way I can tell you're not is the voice and the flatness. I don't think he'll do you."

"You...! Okay. I'll tell you why. You said the town's starving, right? Well, I thought about it and I figured I'll do it to help the town. I'll work it out later. ...Why're you wet anyway?"

"Mayor's just across the river. He wants to make sure people hardly ever get there. I don't know why. Maybe he's paranoid."

"Well, wouldn't it be easier to walk across the bridge?"

"It's broken. Mayor broke it. He's been here longer than I have. So... We didn't know about it when I was a kid. Someone told me to go on it. I... I fell in. And I almost drowned in there. Some guy was actually nice enough to get me out. But after that... He beat me up. Not because I was were I was told to go. Not because I listened to those other kids. Because he said I was trying to kill myself so I could see the devil. That's why."

"...You tried to swim across?"

"Swim? You kidding? No one taught me. All these retards think the same way. Only the few demons here don't. I don't think any of them know how either."

Shuichi stepped to the river's edge and measured its depth. "Hiei. Grab on to me."

Hiei frowned. "What?"

"You want to go to the mayor, too, right? If not, I'll go alone. So..."

"I'm going, too."

"Then get over yourself and grab on. I'll swim across. If you're still gonna complain about it, then you're just gonna drown. You're outta luck there. I don't know how the help a drowning person aside from getting them out of the water."

Hiei growled under his breath.

"I'm not asking you to touch anything below the waist. If I did, I wouldn't have a problem with getting my body sold or anything, would I? You could just gab onto my shoulders. That's all."

"Fine. But I'm not touching you again."

"Sure..." _He's acting like a kid._

---

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Huh?" The guard opened the door and he cursed. "Jaganshi. What the hell are you doing here?"

He pointed at Shuichi, still drying his face off with his dripping arm.

"Who the hell is he?"

"Just get the mayor."

"Whatever. Hey, you should go on the bridge again. Maybe you'll have fun again. You gonna get Touya to watch your ass on that one, too?"

"You just go to hell when you get your head outta your ass."

The guard laughed at the small demon and walked away.

Shuichi glanced at Hiei. _Man..._

"What the hell's your problem now? You wanna back out? It's too late from that crap," he growled.

The red head shook his head. "It's nothing."

"Don't you pity me."

The same guard from before came back. "'Ey, Swimmer. He'll see you now."

"You were lucky you damn brother was there when you picked that fight with me. I should've finished you off years ago," he went through the door with Shuichi following slowly forward.

The door shut with a thud. Shuichi thought to himself, _Well, here goes._

The room was small and simple. There was only one window in the room and it was on the left from the door. There was a bookshelf in the back of the room which was filled with books the were probably still unread. There was a desk and two chairs in front of it. The desk was covered with two piles of paper that were stacked next to each other in an unorderly way, scattered pens ans pencils, a candle, and, on the edge of the desk, a block of old wood that had carved in it "_Mayor Karasu Juarez"_.

The mayor was a pale man of over fifty (That, in demon years, is actually still quite young.) with black hair that fell halfway down his back in small waves. His violet eyes appeared to always be in deep thought. He was dressed in black- all black. He was also wearing glasses at that time, which he pushed up at that second.

Karasu looked at his two visitors with little interest. "So you've come back here again, Jaganshi? I'm not going to debate your being stuck in Guerroro anymore. I advise you to give up on that idea."

"It's not about that," Hiei growled. "This kid. We'll give him to you if you pay us to get our land back from those rich fools or give it back yourself. You could use him as a slave or whatever you feel like."

The mayor removed his glasses and chuckled quietly. "Hm..." He stepped close to Kurama and eyed him. He reached for Kurama hair and stared at the red locks.

"He's not from here? Is this an Irish one?" the mayor asked.

"American," Hiei answered coldly.

"I don't think he's cut out for work..." He felt something cold touch his cheek and his eyes moved toward the object when he heard Kurama gasp in fear- Hiei was pointing a gun to Karasu's head. "Jaganshi... What the hell are you doing? Are you...?"

"I'll see you later, Juarez," Hiei fired.

The guard dashed in only to be shot, too. Other were frozen.

Hiei turned to them as they walked away. "Say anything of this and that'll be you, too."

---

"_Dear Mother,_

_It turns out I wasn't going to be given to the mayor for work after all. I'm not sure I should be grateful Hiei killed the mayor or scared..."_

"What're you writing?" Hiei asked, sounding a little gentler than before.

"A letter to my mother."

"Well, you ain't gonna get that sent anytime soon, are you? Don't think the Pony Express' is gonna send it if you're in Mexico."

"I know that. It just keeps me from getting homesick."

"Then why the hell'd you come if you can't handle being alone?"

"I can go here with no problems. It's just that... I'm not sure I'll be able to go home anytime soon..."

"Why not? Get into a fight with your old man?"

"No. My father's dead. It's just that... A bounty."

"A bounty? God damn! What'd you do?"

"Nothing, to be honest. But... I'm accused of murdering someone called Shinobu Sensui. I know it wasn't me. I barely knew the guy. I think it was a demon. You see, he studies demons. In fact, I think he used to be a demon slayer."

"How you get in there?"

"Someone just accused me. I guess they thought I hated him. I can't say I do. I haven't even talked to him. I left when that guy threatened to kill my mother. He won't give up until I turn in evidence and admit my crime."

"So wouldn't they have already...?"

"Not with me gone."

"Oh. Get rest. Not stopping for you tomorrow." Hiei yawned at curled up near the fire.

Shuichi smiled at him.

"_Speaking of Hiei... It seems_ _like he's a little less hostile now. I guess he's used to me now. I'm not sure if it's that or if he's just happy to be_ _the one who killed the mayor... But you know..._ _He had it bad as a kid. I have to assume so after what I heard happened to him. He said he was beaten after being saved from drowning. They say he's evil... Well, I'll just see how everything goes..._

"_I hope everything goes well for you mother!_

_Love,_

_Shuichi"_

**End chapter 2**

---

Notes:  
1. "The mayor's across this river."- I honestly don't think there's THAT many rivers in Mexico. I've looked on a map and there weren't really any that were there. Maybe like two or three from where I looked on there. I'm not sure.  
2."I'm not going to debate your being stuck in Guerroro anymore."- I'm not using real city names. I don't know any of the names except Mexico City and Laredo. That's it. I used the street names in Mexico for the city names. Sorry.  
3. Pony Express- Actually in this time, the Pony Express would be starting to disappear since post offices were being made I think. I forgot...

Sorry about this really late update. I was at San Antonio to visit my family and the I went to Laredo, Mexico. I'll be gone next wee, too. I'm going to be at the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Um, yeah. Well, hope to see you next chapter. Review!


	3. But It's Better If You Do

**Ride Like the Wind**

**Chapter 3**

A week passed after Karasu's murder and the mayor was quickly replaced by another person Hiei hated with a passion. Shuichi never heard much more than a few words against the mayor every once in a blue moon, but he never thought much about it or became further interested.

Shuichi stayed at an inn and had to do certain chores for the owner, a old man who was blind in one eye and spat a lot, to pay the rent. He usually worked with Rinku, a twelve year old orphaned demon with spiked brown hair and brown eyes. He worked because he couldn't get into school but needed something to do. Working with Rinku was actually fun only because it was amusing to watch someone stick there tongue out at an old man and mock them behind their backs in various ways for some reason.

"Sea lions! Whoa! Do they eat people!" Rinku gasped in amazement.

"No..." Shuichi chuckled. "They eat fish. I'd be afraid if people would watch something that ate them."

"Aw... What do they look like?"

"Well... Kinda like dogs, but with fins..."

He stared at the red head, his mouth agape as he formed the mental image. "Man, I wish I lived in San Francisco so I could see that! It sounds cool!"

"I dunno. It's getting crowded... And to think we used to live in a small town..."

"Alright, kids, you can do whatever now!" the owner said as he hobbled across the recently swept room and spat into a jug on his way there.

"Whew!" Rinku plopped on the porch. "I'm tired and I always feel like I never do any real work..."

Shuichi smiled at him. "Hey... I've just been wondering... Do you know anything about Hiei?"

"Not really. He's just a short guy that likes to be creepy. I think Ruka at the orphanage knows. She was there when he was a kid. I know the humans here hate him."

"Hello, boys!" Botan greeted almost in a song. She was a cheerful girl of twenty-five with blue hair that she always had tied back. Her eyes were pink and sparkled in light. She was actually from Britain but her family moved to Mexico for some unfathomable reason when she was twelve so she spoke with a British accent. What she did all day was a mystery. Shuichi had noticed that she left a lot, and when she did, she always took a few weeks to appear again. "What're you talking about?"

"Shuichi wants to know stuff about Hiei," Rinku explained. "Hey, you went to school with him, didn't you?"

"No. They don't let girls into school. But I did see him a lot... Why do you wanna know?"

"Uh... I dunno. Just because..." Shuichi had not real idea why he wanted to know. Maybe it was just because he wanted to know why Hiei acted the way he did.

"Well, I dunno much about him before his teen years. I've heard it around the older folks that he's not really a whole demon. I've heard that he's half a fire demon and his mother was a ice demon, I believe. I've heard all kinds of stuff about his parents. Like his father kidnaped Hiei's mom and raped her or his mom came here and became a prostitute and got stuck with some alcoholic as the father... Weird stuff. The one that made the most sense was this one: they just met and just... You know. Then they never saw each other again. Supposedly, his mother went home to the demon's world. Well, she had him, but killed herself because she couldn't keep him..." Botan sighed.

"You know him, so why didn't you ask?" Shuichi asked.

"...I did. And he got mad. He threatened to kill me if I asked again. And I don't ask anymore because I know he will..."

"...So who raised him?"

"Supposedly a group of bandits. Something went wrong in New York and he was brought here because they didn't like what happened. So he came when he was five. Well, there was one guy who was from that group that took care of him until he was killed. I think his name was Johnathan James Thompson... When that guy died, Hiei was fifteen so then he just quit school and hardly went out unless Touya made him. But before that, he still didn't really get along with humans. He used to get in trouble a lot for getting in fights and almost killing them a lot. And if not that, they falsely accused him of stuff or threw him into stuff..."

"All because of that guy?"

"No one else served as a parent to him.." Her voice trailed on, but Shuichi didn't listen.

He remembered again...

"_It's... No one. No mother. No father. No one left. I'm the last one..."_

_So he was always alone because no one wanted him..._ Shuichi thought. _Could I be feeling sorry for him? But... I guess that's why he's always so cold. I thought it was just because he was just a jerk, but he just never had someone that was actually there for him. I guess I would be the same way if I were in his shoes..._

"Hey! What the hell're you doin' standin' there! Answer!" a voice called from behind him.

Shuichi turned around and stared at Hiei. He didn't realize he shut everything out.

"Okay, by the stupid look on your face, I can tell you weren't listenin'. You know the guy here checked you out right?"

"What?"

"Yeah. I guess he was either tired of seein' you here or he's pissed off at the sight of an American because his wife took off on him for a New Yorker."

"Aiya... So where're..."

"You're gonna hafta stay with me. I got plenty of space." There was a slight tone of irritation in his voice.

"Huh? What would your wife say?"

"Wife? You're kidding, right? If people had a problem with me, why would I be married?"

"Well, I kinda figured you had at least a girlfriend since I sometimes see you with a woman trying to hang on you and stuff..."

"I dunno. Something in the water or they wanna get me in trouble by saying I raped them or something. And I thought when Botan got away from me, I'd be free. By the way, you like cats, right?"

"Uh, sure. I prefer dogs, though. Why?"

"You'll see."

---

When they got top Hiei's small house a few cats raced to the two and meowed, demanding to be fed.

"Wow, Hiei! You sure do love cats!" Shuichi tried to keep himself from laughing. "I guess you need a soft spot for _something_."

"Shut up, you!" Hiei growled and frowned at the tortoise shell cat that plopped in front of his feet. "Damn cat..."

"Did you name them?"

"Only this one right here but it wasn't me who named him. The guy who used to live here with me liked him the best. He named this one Paco for some reason so I'm just goin' along with him on that one. I think he preferred dogs, too."

Shuichi glanced at him. He couldn't help but notice the warmness in his voice. So was that guy Johnathan James Thompson?

"Anyway..." Hiei walked in and showed the red head around the house.

Just when you walked through the door, you would find the kitchen to the left. All the kitchen had was a stove, a table, some chairs, two buckets-one bucket for water to be brought in and the other to wash stuff in, and a small window. To the right of the door was a room with chair that were arranged in a messy circle. Straight down the hall was three rooms. The first was an empty bedroom that Hiei used until he was sixteen. It was simple: a small bed, a window to the right of it, and a pile of possibly unread books on the floor near the foot of the bed. The second was Hiei's which looked almost the same except without the books, and it had a pile of clothes on the floor next to a box of tools. The third used to be an empty guest bedroom but is now used as a bathroom/ washroom.

"And just so you know, if you wanna talk to me and I'm in my room, knock first so you won't give me a heart attack if I'm doin' anything," Hiei explained. "If it's during the day, I'll be in the field. I'll be gone from sunrise to sunset. Alright?"

"Okay..."

---

"Ho there, American!" Jin greeted, his ears pointed again. "So you're livin' with Hiei now?"

"Yeah," Shuichi replied simply.

"Cool, so you get to be best friends with me and Suzaku! And I'll introduce you to Touya when he gets back from China or Chicago!"

Shuichi nodded absentmindedly.

"We'll probably your only friends here from now on..."

"So I've noticed."

"Well, a lot of humans are mean and stuff. Exorcists are really common in this area you know. I was kinda freaked out about it at first but I got over it. They won't do anything to you unless you do something to them. You know exorcists are still trying to find the guy who killed Mayor Juarez?"

_Well, they don't have to look far... Heh..._ Shuichi thought. Then a part of him laughed mockingly. _Exorcists. What a bunch of fools. I haven't toyed with one of those in a while..._

"I saw you talkin' to Botan earlier. What were you talkin' about?" He started to float upside-down.

"...I wanted to know what happened to Hiei as a kid..."

"Hiei! Hiei's my bestest best friend! Since I was a wee little eight year old! We met when I was seven... I think he's mean cause Ruka used to whip us with that weird switch she has. She's mean! People used to pick on him and stuff! Lucky Koenma was around! He got him into school and outta jail..."

"Jail?"

"I dunno. JJ died. JJ used to be my other best friend but he died..."

"Oh yeah. Botan said something about that..."

"Hey, you wanna go eat potatoes!"

"W... Wha?" _Where'd that come from?_

"Yay! Potatoes!" He dragged Shuichi away.

—(That was pointless...)

Hiei swiped the sweat off his forehead and turned around. "For the last time, Botan, quit stalking me."

"I'm not stalking you!" Botan growled. "I've got news that you want."

"I don't want news. Go away."

"So you're trying to avoid me cause you dumped me when we were fourteen?"

"I didn't dump you. How could I when we had no relationship whatsoever. I'm not avoiding anyone. I'm trying to work."

"Oh, take a break, will ya? I mean you work all day and still stay on your feet for other stuff. Can't you stop?"

"I'm a farmer! I have to work all day! I don't have it easy like you!"

"Okay, if you _have _work all day, then listen and work!"

"Okay, I'll bite if you shut the hell up. What?"

"Well, you know your mom's hometown?"

Suddenly Hiei's interest was piqued.

---

"All work and no play makes Hiei a dull boy," Shuichi said when Hiei returned from the field.

Hiei let out a simple, "Hn."

The red head sighed and stroked Paco, who was plopped next to Shuichi's chair. _I wonder what happened... Should I care?_

And he pulled out a pencil and paper and wrote:

"_Dear mother:_

"_Well, I'm living with Hiei now. It's been quiet and I know it will be for the rest of my life in Mexico because I'm with Hiei. Speaking of Hiei, you_ _know no one really knows what happened to his parents? I asked about it and I heard that there were a whole bunch of weird stories about his parents. Supposedly a guy from a group of bandits raised him_ _but died when Hiei was fifteen. Maybe that guy was killed by Americans and that's why he hates me?_

"_I hope everything goes well for you!_

"_Love,_

"_Shuichi"_

**End chapter 3**

Notes:  
1. "They don't let girls into school."- I have no idea how education worked in Mexico. I know that in America, at this time, girls were allowed to go to school but couldn't do normal courses like boys. I'll assume girls still don't go to school in Mexico at that time.  
2. "I think his name was Johnathan James Thompson."- Not a real character. Makes things simple, right?

Sorry I missed updating. I was at Vegas for five days. Nice to have clean California air instead of casino smell all the time...

Reviews are appreciated!


	4. Gotta Knock A Little Harder

**Ride Like the Wind**

**Chapter 4**

Botan stood outside and yawned as she watched the sun rise. She saw someone walking by. "Hm...? Hiei? You're up early today!"

"I kinda have to wake up early," Hiei growled still walking past her.

"Hey, but your house is _that_ way!" She pointed towards the opposite direction Hiei was walking in. "How can you go working if you're not at _your_ field!"

"Who said I was working?"

"When'd you turn into such a bum?"

"I'm not gonna sit on my lazy ass all day. I'm leaving town."

"Why?"

"I know where she is. I don't need to stay here and wonder where to look. Since Juarez id dead, I can go find her now. It makes sense."

"But you didn't know she was there until two years ago. What makes you think she'll know _you_ exist? And when you find her, then what?"

"I dunno. Why should I say anything? You know people hate me here, so would she be any different? I'll just stay in her town and..."

"And Shuichi?"

"What about him?" He turned around and frowned at her.

"I dunno. He would probably wanna find you if..."

"Why the hell would he do that? He could go all the way to Mexico from San Francisco. Why can't he stay by himself? What are you implying?"

"I dunno. I think he might wanna come too..."

"Are you saying he's a..."

"No. It's just that... You know. I told him. About your parents and stuff."

"That crap?" He turned his back to her again. "He doesn't need to know about that. You don't know how wrong all of that is..." And he walked away without saying another word.

Botan sighed. "You'll see him soon." _Besides... He doesn't know that that's why people cared..._

---

"Why don't you just help Hiei instead if you figure it'll take you more'n a year to stop?" Rinku asked. "That makes more sense."

Shuichi plopped on the porch and was greeted by Paco, who was rubbing against his legs. "I'm not really sure about this whole thing... Besides, I think I'd rather talk to you than hear Hiei curse every five minutes."

"I guess..." Rinku blinked and pointed to something behind Shuichi. "Isn't that his tools?"

"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder. "Yeah... They are... How's he expect to work without his tools?"

"Maybe he's still asleep?"

"Rinku, I would doubt it if Hiei were still asleep at two o'clock in the afternoon. I swore I heard him get up this morning."

"Maybe he had to take a pee?"

"Okay and I would have heard him come back in."

"...Maybe he fell asleep right after?"

"...There's an idea... But I doubt that." Shuichi stared at the sky in thought. "He can't work without tools. I wonder..."

"Maybe he's planting more stuff. It's spring, after all..."

"Huh. Never thought about that. Wanna go check?"

Rinku shrugged. "Sure."

---

They came there in fives minutes to see there was no one there except for a few crows waiting to get some crops.

"So much for that idea..." Rinku sighed with disappointment.

Shuichi stared at the small field and thought about where Hiei could be. He knew for certain that Hiei wasn't at home, otherwise he would have heard the small demon come back into the house and he wasn't in the field... Where _is_ he? Could he have left to take this mayor out, too?

"Hey, Rinku. You know that girl from yesterday? What's her name?" Shuichi asked.

"Oh, Botan? Why?" Rinku asked.

"You have any ideas where _she_ could be?"

"Uh... At home, I guess. Why?" He was starting to get confused.

"You know where she lives?"

"Yeah. But.. What're you playing to do to her?"

"I dunno! I'll see you later!" He ran away. _Something tells me she might know where Hiei is. And that something tells me that Hiei might've left town..._

Rinku, who was watching him run away thought, _I thought he didn't know where she lives... There goes the dynamic moment..._

Shuichi kept running, not even knowing where he was going. Suddenly, he crashed into someone- Botan. "Ow... Sorry I was..."

"It's all right..." Botan laughed it off and helped him up. "So where's the fire?"

"Well, Hiei's gone. It's just weird that he would just suddenly disappear like that! I figured that you would know where he is!"

_I knew this would happen..._Botan thought with little surprise as she replied, "Well, yeah. Since you're such a nice guy I'll tell you where he's going. He's looking for his sister."

"He has a sister?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, too. Well... She lives in the northeast. Really close to the border. It's really close to Laredo. But knowing Hiei, he would get east and west confused. He still gets left and right confused and he's supposed to be the straight A student..."

"Okay! I'll see you later!" Shuichi ran away. _His sister? Why did he say he was the only one left if he has a sister? Why isn't she here, anyway? What's going on?_

---

Hiei stopped and frowned at the horizon, scratching his head in irritation. _Damn it. Which way was east again? Was it to the left or the right? Wait... It's to the right. Which way's right again? Damn. Damn. DAMN! Maybe I should've brought Shuichi so he could help me out..._

There was the sound of someone panting coming closer. Hiei looked over his shoulder to see the source of the noise and saw Shuichi, who was starting to lose his breath.

"Hiei!" Shuichi cried out with the little breath he had.

"What the hell?" Hiei blinked twice. "How the hell'd you find me? And while we're still on the subject, why the hell're you following me?"

"I... I dunno! Botan told me where you were going! So I came!"

_Man, she's gotta big mouth..._ Hiei thought in even more irritation. "Okay. Well, you ever consider that maybe I didn't want you to come? Maybe I only wanted you to be here to help me figure out with way's to the right, but that's it."

"You...! Wait, you still get them confused?" Shuichi shook his head at that.

"Shut up! Go back to Gueroro!"

"Why can't I go with you?"

"Because...! Why am I arguing with you?" He sighed. Now he was starting to get a head ache. "Why do you always wanna follow me?"

"Well, last time I had no choice. You were taking me to the mayor."

"Okay, you got me there. Look. Maybe I wanted to go alone. You consider that?" He crossed his arms. "God, I'm learning to hate you so much."

Shuichi felt hurt, but he realized that he really didn't stop to think why Hiei went alone. "Okay. I'll go..."

"Yeah, and never come back, you bitch!" Hiei flipped him off.

Shuichi frowned and then realized his weapon. He replied in a sing-song voice, "Sure Hiei, then you'll nev-er know which way's east..."

Hiei groaned. "You bastard. You can just go to hell."

"Okay... Bye bye!" He waved to Hiei mockingly as he walked away.

"OKAY! Wait!"

"What is it?" Still in the sing-song voice.

"Which way's east?"

"I'm not telling!"

"Would you tell if I let you come?"

"No. I was just playing." He pointed east. "That way. Won't do you much good just going northeast."

"You know the way there?"

"Sure. Someone once told me how to get around for some reaso- AIYA!" Shuichi was starting to get dragged away by Hiei.

"All right! You're coming with me then!"

"AIYA! HELP ME HELP ME!"

---

"I guess it would help if we knew where we are..." Hiei sweat dropped late that night as he lit the fire.

"Hey, Hiei..." Shuichi said.

"What?"

"Why do you hate Americans?"

"You people just suck."

"So I guess I do halfway then, huh?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I'm half. My father was Japanese and my mother came to California from Delaware. I guess I'm better off saying I'm still Mexican though. I was born in California when it was still Mexico... You ever been to America?"

"...Yeah. 'Til I was five. I'm half Mexican."

"You are?"

"On my mom's side. All I'm telling you."

"So... Why isn't your sister here?"

"She told you that, too?"

He nodded.

"Not telling. Why're you following me anyway?"

"I dunno. I guess I have no one else to turn to..."

"You're full of crap." He rolled over and started to fall asleep.

"Hey, Hiei?"

"What now?"

"How long do you figure until they cross the Rio Grande?"

"Years, months. I don't care."

"At least I made it last a bit..." Shuichi smile and started to fall asleep, too.

_Weird kid..._ Hiei thought. _I wonder about him sometimes..._

He didn't think more about it as he slowly drifted off to sleep...

**End chapter 4**

Notes:

1. "It's really close to Laredo."- Nuevo Laredo, called Laredo because people are too lazy to call it Nuevo Laredo. I'll assume it still was called that back then. I mean in Mexico. It's just on the border and close to Texas.  
2. "I was born in California went it was still Mexico."- California was admitted into the Union in 1850. Shuichi would be born in 1833, therefore making him Mexican.

I forgot to mention in the last few chapters why I call Kurama Shuichi. Well, it pretty much explains itself later. It's not because I have this thing against calling Kurama Kurama. Okay?

Review please!


	5. All Right

**Ride Like the Wind**

**Chapter 5**

A week had passed and they arrived at a small town. The problem was it was the wrong town.

"We went the wrong way..." Hiei stared at the sign that read "Welcome to Gonzales!" in Spanish in dismay. He turned to Kurama and growled, "I thought you said you knew which way was east and which way was west!"

"Hey, you never said it we were facing north or what from where we were..." Shuichi said, with a sigh. "It's not my fault you have no sense in direction."

"I don't have a sense in direction?"

"You're-What?-twice my age and you still don't know which way's east and which way's west. I'm fifteen and I know that. What's wrong with this picture?"

"Forget it. Gonzales is just about a couple weeks away from Ramirez. We just walk straight through here and we'll be alright."

"Okay then."

"I don't need you now. You can go." Hiei waved a hand as if to shoo him away.

"You dragged me out here just so I would have to walk for a week and try to teach you which way's left and which way's right."

"I'll come back to that." Hiei crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing.

"Hiei, for reference, look at your hands."

"What about 'em?"

"The back of your hands."

"Once again, I fail to see what you're getting at."

"You're left hand forms an 'L' from your index finger and your thumb. They teach you that in grade school."

"Oh, hey! I never noticed that!" He stared at his hand, looking slightly amazed. "Wow... Now that that's done I can have you go now!"

"You only liked me because I know which way's left or right!"

"Yeah... Or I could just shoot you and get the whole thing over with..." He pointed the gun to the red head.

The gun was suddenly slapped out of Hiei's hand. "What the hell're you doin'!"

Shuichi left out a mental sigh of relief as he looked at the person who probably just saved his life.

The person was a boy that was fourteen years old. He had raven hair that he kept slick. His eyes were brown like mud and had a glimmer of confidence. His face looked like it always had the same confident look on his face, but was sometimes replaced by a frown or glare. He was starting to build muscle, too, and he was also lightly tanned. He was actually half Japanese.

"You okay, man?" he asked.

_He has a New Yorker's accent..._ "Yeah... It was nothing. I don't think he really was gonna shoot..."

"Says a lot to me if he would ran like hell if he wasn't gonna do anythin'. Knew the stories about him were bad but..."

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. He remembered hearing what Botan had said about people making crazy stories about his parents, but he didn't know people made up stuff about _him_. That was when he remembered...

He heard about it when he was five and playing around outside. The women often gossiped about strange things, but this one was the biggest. There was some guy who was in Chicago that went on a killing spree after he killed three men, who were reported to be demons and thieves. That guy continued to kill people from there all the way down to Mexico. He was caught not long after by an exorcist that went by the name Z—. (Shuichi couldn't catch his whole name.) That killer was the same one who killed someone in New York ten years before. The killer, who was fifteen at the time, was _Hiei Jaganshi_.

"You alright?" the guy asked.

Shuichi shoved the thought to the back of his mind. "Yeah."

"'Kay. So what's your name?"

"I'm Shuichi Minamino."

"Hey, fellow American, huh? I'm from New York, if you didn't notice my accent. Name's Yusuke Urameshi."

"...So what's wrong with Hiei?"

"Dunno. Doesn't seem like a good guy if he'll shoot you... How'd you end up with him to begin with? You seem like a nice guy..."

"Well..." Shuichi explained how he was taken to the mayor and staying with him.

"Well, I'm not saying this because I'm stupid like these other people but..."

Suddenly a woman came out of nowhere and screamed, "YUSUKE! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SKIPPING OUT ON YOUR CHORES!"

"MU-THER!" Yusuke growled at her. "I wasn't skipping out on my chores. I was helping this guy out cause some other guy was gonna shoot him."

His mother eyed him. "Well..." She poured water over Shuichi's head. "And fox demons won't posses you!"

Shuichi felt a strong burn on his skin. He fell to the ground and started to twitch, but resisted its strength and stood again, a smile on his face. "That has a real kick to it! It's pretty strong to affect a human like that!"

Yusuke's mother stared at him in horror, for his eyes had been gold for a split second but changed back into emerald... She mumbled a prayer under her breath as she walked away.

"Don't listen to my mom. She's a freak..." Yusuke said.

"Hey, Yusuke..." a girl joined in. She was fourteen. She had brown hair that she had cut short because of the hot weather in Mexico. Her eyes were also brown, but with a sense of emptiness and calmness. Her face looked blank half of the time. She had a aura of a loving mother about her. She even acted like she was Yusuke's mother sometimes!

"Oh, hey Keiko..." He turned to Shuichi. "Shuichi, this is a Keiko, a long time friend of mine. Keiko, this is Shuichi."

"Oh, hi," was Keiko's simple greeting. The conversation went on.

Shuichi hardly said anything. He kept thinking about that story he heard when he was a child...

---

So how was Hiei doing? He actually crashed into someone running away. That someone was a friend from his childhood.

His name was Koenma. He has brown hair that he let grown out a bit. His eyes, a sense of wisdom within them, were narrow and brown. He had a serious looking face from the long years of research he had done that had usually disturbed him. (Of course, he had spent a lot of his time as a traveling priest.) He was also skinny- no fat, no muscle, and he was still pale. For some unfathomable reason, he always had a pacifier in his mouth.

"Didn't expect to see you here..." Koenma said, an eyebrow raised. "Why'd you end up here when you should be in Guerroro?"

"...Well..." Hiei's eyes fell to his feet.

"If you keep doing that, they'll send that bastard Zeru after you again and I won't be there to get you out of it!"

"Whatever! I get to find my sister, right?"

"That's what this is about? Look. Give it up. I told her about having a brother and she was shocked. She didn't know you existed and may never know. You should just go back home and get married, have kids and stuff of that nature..."

"I'm not gonna... Look. I won't give up until I know where she is."

"But you do." Smugly.

"Shut up! I'll find her. If it's the last thing I do."

"And the American? Shuichi or whatever? You'll leave him behind?"

"He doesn't need... Wait.. How the hell do you know that!"

"Botan. Remember...? She gave me the tip."

_Whatever that means..._ "Look. He's _following_ me. I let him come because he helped me with directions. That's all..."

"Pvvt..." Stifled laughter. "You still get left and right confused! I thought Touya taught you how to remind yourself which way was left!"

"Oh, shut it."

"Look. I've gotta tell you something about that kid. He's got a large amount of energy. It's not Spirit Energy. It's _demon_ energy. I think so at least. Keep an eye on him. It says a lot to me if exorcists track a kid down this much..."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "You don't say..."

---

Shuichi watched the stars on the roof writing his letter when Hiei climbed up.

"What're you doing?" Hiei asked.

"Don't act like you don't go on roofs... The stars... There's the North Star and..."

"Don't mention getting lost or I'll really kill you."

"Heh... Well, there's the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper... I remember when I was little, I went on the cherry tree at home and watched the sunset and watched the stars by the beach. Really nice view. If you lived by the beach I would do the same thing..."

Hiei pointed at the moon. "You know when I got into the orphanage. The lady that watched us was Ruka. She's still there but anyway... She told us that there was a rabbit on the moon. It was chased by a coyote so it went up there to escape. So they said that coyotes howl to try to convince the rabbit to get down."

"You believed it?"

"...Yeah. For a day. But I was stupid."

"But you should cherish things from your childhood! Look..." He reached into his hat and pulled out a picture. "I have a picture of my father and this is his I'm wearing. Kinda big but it works..."

Hiei stared at it. His eyes looked empty.

"...Hiei?" Shuichi rose an eyebrow.

**End chapter 5**

Notes:

1. Hiei's age- Actually. Hiei's twenty-five right now. So Kurama and Hiei are ten years apart.  
2. About Koenma- I can't tell his eye color because I remember them being blue but... The pacifier becomes important later...  
3. Pictures- I'm not sure when the camera was invented. I'm pretty sure they existed in this time period. Only they weren't in color and took forever to take.

I'm finally done! Well, hope you enjoyed. Have a nice 4th of July!

Review!


	6. Session

**Ride Like the Wind  
****Chapter 6**

"You're coming with us?" Shuichi asked Yusuke, coking his head to the side a bit.

"Sure. Don't go to school and I have nothing really to do. 'Sides, I have some other stuff to do..." Yusuke replied with his trademark confident smile.

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"It's a secret. I was told not to tell anyone. You'll find out what it is later..."

"Oy! Minamino! You forgot your stupid hat!" Hiei growled in Spanish as he threw the hat in the air. "Aw, crap. Threw it too high."

Shuichi shrugged and jumped. He caught it and landed on his feet like it was nothing.

"God damn Shuichi!" Yusuke gasped. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were part rabbit or something. How'd you do it?"

"...Springs in my feet. That's all," the red head answered simply.

Hiei cocked an eyebrow. _Springs in his feet? There's no way in hell that could happen! In fact, there's no way in hell a human can jump that high. Could he be a demon or am I just thinking too much...?_

Then Hiei remembered what Koenma said. _"Look. I've gotta tell you something about that kid. He's got a large amount of energy. It's not Spirit Energy. It's demon energy. I think so at least. Keep an eye on him. It says a lot to me if exorcists track a kid down this much..."_

_Could he...?_ Hiei shook the thought off.

---

A week passed and the three made it halfway to Ramirez.

"We finally hit something!" Yusuke cheered as he held up a clutched fist, hitting a random by-stander in the process.

"I'll say," Hiei added, raising an eyebrow.

Shuichi read the sign out loud, "Welcome to Gatos Feos!" A cat hissed at him.

"That was... Weird..." Yusuke blinked twice. He turned back to Hiei, "Hey, now... Holy crap! What the hell!" He pointed at the fat cat that was standing on him and digging its claws into his back.

"Don't... Say... Anything... Just... Get this damn thing off me," Hiei growled.

"O... Okay. Don't move..." Yusuke pointed his index finger. "SPIRIT GUN!" He fired a shiny white ball of Spirit Energy, but the cat jumped out of the way, hissing.

Shuichi pulled out a red rose. "Stubborn thing..."

"...I didn't know you were like _that_, kid!" Hiei said.

He stared at the smaller man for a moment then shook his head. "Whatever... Rose Whip!" The cat was sliced in half by a green whip with thorns.

"Whoa. There's another thing I wish I could do... Do all Californians do that? 'Cause I'll go with you to learn..." Yusuke responded naively. "Wait... Are you a plant tamer? ...If that made any sense at all?"

"Doesn't matter right now. I'll tell you later..."

"Hey. I just remembered... We're the only people here bold enough to take on a demon," Hiei eyed a person running to them, a smile on his face. "If I'm right, that's the mayor coming to get us to kill demons for him."

"Hi, there! I'm Mayor Suzuka Gomez!" He held out a hand. Suzuka was slightly pale skinny man of thirty-six.. He had hair like golden wheat that stuck up in the air. He looked like he was confident and nervous at the same time. "Uh... Well, you look like a tough group of boys..."

"I'm twenty-five. I would hardly count as a boy," Hiei said sarcastically. "Whatever it is. We're not interested. You should have someone to do the job..."

"Ignore him. Anyway, we have a yearly problem in this here town. I was wondering if you could help us out..."

"Oh yeah. I know what you're talking about," Yusuke said and he turned to Shuichi. "See, these guys got it kinda lucky here. There's a demon that comes here once a year to go eat humans and stuff."

"Yeah. He's right!' Suzuka nodded. "So will you...?"

"Hey!" a boy ran to the four. He was about fourteen with orange hair that stuck out in the front. His narrow eyes were a plain black. His bony face looked like he was thinking but also blank at the same time. He was pale and muscular. He also spoke with a Texas accent. "I thought _I_ was supposed to kill the demon!"

"Oh, great... Kuwabara, yeah you are, but if you did what _you're_ _supposed_ to do, then I wouldn't have ask these boys for help, would I?"

"Hey, I'm Kazuma Kuwabara and I have a sword!"

"Is that supposed to impair my judgement?"

"Is what's going on supposed to impair our judgement?" Hiei asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, listen to the little man!" Kuwabara replied.

"Little...! You...!"

"We can slay the demon together. There. Now everyone's happy, right?" Shuichi broke in.

Kuwabara eyed him. "I'm not sure... I dunno if you're clean..." _That aura. It's demonic... Is he possessed or is he a demon, too?_

"Do we _look_ dirty to you?" Yusuke asked.

Kuwabara held up a bucket he had been holding for a while now. "I was gonna use this to clean myself but... Here." He threw the liquid inside (most likely to be holy water) one the three. HIei fell over and twitched like he was having a seizure. Shuichi simply rubbed his eyes, which were gold for a moment.

"Whew! That has a real kick to it!" Shuichi smiled. "I wanna know what you put in there to make it like that!"

Kuwabara stared at him. _He... He's kinda scary... Am I sure I wanna slay demons with him? No! I'm being stupid! It was just my imagination!_ "Ya'll need to have a clear mind and a clean body to slay demons right."

"I... I see. So you're an exorcist?"

"Yeah. Better to start now..."

"...So you know how to help Hiei?"

---

And the night came by fast and warm. The three talked just before they went to bed...

"Hey... You guys know that that demon might be trouble for you?" Hiei asked, more of a statement.

"You say it like he won't be trouble for you. We can handle it. Just one of us taking him alone is hard. But all of us together can take him without no problems, right Shuichi?" Yusuke turned to the red head and smiled.

Shuichi nodded in agreement. "See? What'd I tell you Hiei? Everyone needs someone!"

"Whatever!" Hiei frowned at the two teens. "I'm telling you that they don't call that bastard El Diablo for no reason. Don't get cocky."

"Ruin our fun, why don'cha?" Yusuke whined.

Hiei sighed, irritated. "_Buenos noches._"

**End chapter 6**

Notes:  
1. Welcome to Gatos Feos!- What does Gatos Feos mean? It means ugly cat. Simple.  
2. Buenos noches.- For those who don't know, it means "Good evening" or "Good night". Nya!

Short chapter. If you have no time to read the next chapter please review.


	7. Piercing the Skin

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 7**

And the morning came with birds chirping innocently. Today was the day El Diablo would come and something in Shuichi's head wouldn't let him forget it. ...Or that disturbing dream he had.

He found himself in the library that morning looking to see what was wrong with him. He had a feeling that...

_It says I wanna get closer to Hiei._ Shuichi thought. _Well, how close _do _I want to get to him? Isn't it good enough now? Man, I'm confused..._

"Hey, bookworm," Hiei's voice made him jump and Shuichi slammed the book shut as he thought _It's bad enough that this dream's haunting me! I don't want him to know, too!_

Hiei cocked an eyebrow. "What're you doing in the library this early in the morning? What're you reading anyway? H... Ho... How To..." He strained to read it. "Damn it. How to Introduce Your Drag... What the hell...?"

"Yeah..." He laughed, nervous. _How was he not able to read that?_

"I'll go wake Urameshi's lazy ass up. Be right back..." Hiei ran out, despite the glares of the librarian.

_Well, that was a weird save..._

---

Kuwabara just had to ask this after seeing Shuichi and Hiei stand next to each other after a few minutes. "Hey, why're you guys always together? Are ya'll gay with each other or something?"

"Hell and no," Hiei growled. "Aren't you exorcists supposed to be against that stuff anyway?"

"Yeah! I am!" Kuwabara shook a fist at him.

"I'm just used to waking up early..." Shuichi said.

"Unlike Yusuke's lazy ass," Hiei added.

"Whatever! I don't wake up at sunrise," Yusuke growled back.

"What do you expect? I'm a farmer."

Kuwabara froze. "Yee-haw... He's here..." And with more excitement, "HE'S HERE!"

The earth shook and the wind blew wildly. The dust cleared like a storm would calm. The horrible El Diablo...

"You mean to tell me... That El Diablo is... This little pink fuzz-ball!" YUsuke growled pointing to the little cat demon that was now rolling around in the dirt.

"It's cute... Too cute..." Hiei said with disgust.

"Whadya mean cute!" Kuwabara cried. "That's a horrible, terrible beast!"

"If you say so!" Yusuke yelled at him. "I can eat things like this for breakfast!"

"Well, isn't Gatos Feos living up to its name?" Hiei said against sarcastically and disgusted.

Just after that, El Diablo growled, a deep growled. The wind blew harder, harder! His eyes began to glow an ominous crimson. He began to look as if his skin was stretching... Then the skin tore off and then the real El Diablo appeared before them!

The real El Diablo stood at about Kuwabara's height on all fours. His blood red eyes were the size of baseballs. The razor sharp teeth poked out of his drooling mouth like swords, and those deadly looking claws were ready for another kill. It once golden fur was the color of old blood from so many kills.

"Holy crap!" Yusuke gasped. "This thing is the real El Diablo! A coyote demon!"

"See? What'd I tell you!" Kuwabara replied, starting to get irritated fast. "Spirit Sword!" Yellow Spirit Energy formed into a sword in Kuwabara stared.

Hiei reached for something and pointed an invisible gun at the demon. "Aw, crap!" He dodged the coyote's claws. "I forgot my gun at the casa!"

"Well, you should've stayed at the casa!" Yusuke argued, dodging another hit.

"Why didn't you stay at yours!"

"...Oh. You got me there."

"Rose Whip!" Shuichi was about to attack when El Diablo breathed fire and burned it. The red head stared at his charred whip. "That was... Unexpected."

Hiei pulled out his sword and looked around. " We need to kill it before it does a shape shift."

"Uh... Shape shift? I thought fox demons were the ones that did that..." Kuwabara sounded like he was whining.

"They're cousins by species," Shuichi explained. "Therefore, they would have similar traits by power. It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Shuichi!" Hiei pointed behind the Californian.

"Uh...!" Shuichi turned slightly, but then Hiei pushed him out of the way only to get slashed across the chest and burned by the coyote's breath of fire.

"...Bastard!" Yusuke fired a Spirit Gun. "Damn it. He just died just like that..."

Hiei sat up. "It's nice that you feel bad about it, but... I'm still alive!"

"How were you...?" Yusuke rose his eyebrows in shock.

"You really are a demon, aren't you?" Kuwabara asked, his mouth agape.

"I'm a fire demon, Yusuke. Fire being the keyword," Hiei growled at the brunet, ignoring Kuwabara. Suddenly it hit him. "Where'd El Diablo go?"

"And for that matter," Kuwabara added. "Where'd Shuichi or whatever his was go?"

"Maybe he left when El Diablo decided to leave?" Yusuke suggested optimistically.

"Now'll be a good time to use this..." Hiei removed the bandana he wore on his forehead. IT was revealed that he had a third eye!

"One nasty zit..." Yusuke half-laughed.

"It's an eye. It's called a Jagan Eye..."

"O... Okay... That's a little more than creepy..." Yusuke's voice trailed on but Hiei didn't listen.

_Okay, Shuichi. Let's see where you went and if you reveal what you are..._ Hiei thought.

---

Shuichi was grabbed onto El Diablo's back. He screamed when the coyote tried to throw him off. He clutched the coat that smelled deeply of old blood tighter. _This is why I'll never become a horse tamer..._

El Diablo rammed into some stones and stabbed himself on several cacti.

"I'd really hate to do this to a cousin but still Rose whip!" Shuichi managed to slash the coyote's side, but then Shuichi fell off.

El Diablo turned around, the drool running out of his grinning mouth like waterfalls. He charged for the kill. Oh, but...

"Stay back!" Shuichi's voice sounded... deeper. He cracked the whip and threw a rock which hit the coyote in the right eye. "If you dare show your ugly face in the Human Realm again... If you somehow live..."

"Youko Kurama...?" El Diablo's eyes widened in shock. He backed away. "No.. He's dead. You can't be...?"

"Or can I?"

"No..."

"Who tells you these lies? Did they kill me? I suppose not since I still live? Then the only one to tell is a liar, is it not?"

"No! I can't... I won't let myself get killed by a dead man!"

Shuichi rose an eyebrow in amusement. That was when the coyote saw his eyes weren't emerald anymore, but _gold_! "Die..."

A plant sprung out of the coyote's body.

"How sad. He should've noticed me put it in his wound before you were flung off. I wanted to toy with him before his fate was sealed by the death plant.

He stood over the demon and whispered ominously. "There is room for one demon thief in this world. Remember your killer's and the King of Thieves' name- Youko Kurama. Long live the king..."

"'Ey Minamino!" Hiei's rough voice called from the distance.

Shuichi turned around, his eyes turning emerald again. "Hiei? How'd you find me?"

"Hiei's freaky third eye," Yusuke answered bluntly.

"It's like witch craft!" Kuwabara cried. "Are you all witches or something? And where's El Diablo?"

"Easy, big guy."

Shuichi's mouth curved into a wry smile. "Oh a fox spirit came to my aid. He was skilled with plants." He jerked his head toward the corpse.

"And cacti," Hiei added, pointing to the needles stabbing into the Californian's sides. "The hell were you doing while he was helping you? A cactus dance?"

"Eeh..."

---

The night came again. Finally it was time to relax with the crickets chirping in the distance and the stars dancing to the music.

Shuichi was barely able to take the pain to write. Then Hiei came in the room.

"Can take your limbs but they won't stop you from writing. That's devotion," Hiei commented.

"You say I bother you. So be happy I'm not bugging you," Shuichi replied silently, more lost in thought than anything. _I guess I do want to get closer to him, don't I...?_

"Meh. I got used to your stupid questions."

"Where's Yusuke?"

"I think he's hiding from Kuwabara so he won't hear anything about witchcraft or demons. The guy's insane if you ask me. _Some exorcist..._" Hiei sighed. "They just get dumber and dumber."

"You said they were a town of cowards..." Just as Shuichi's pen touched the paper, a thought came to mind: _Now that I'm stuck in a world with demons and exorcists... It's a great learning experience. That or it's a sign I have to go to church..._

A voice echoed in the back of his mind _Shuichi._

Hiei grunted, "Stupid exorcists."

**End chapter 7**

Notes:  
1. Libraries- I'm not sure how libraries were set up back then but...  
2.No, Shuichi does NOT have multiple personalties. Damned if he did.

Whew! My wrist hurts. Well, that's done. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next week or whenever!

Review!


	8. Like A Prayer

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 8**

_Those eyes... Crimson and so cold..._ _Raven hair... Who are you...?_ She woke up to the choking stench of smoke. She felt like she was going to melt. (She thought it was the harsh Mexican heat that was getting to her. Frankly she wasn't built for this weather.) She shot up in her bed. The house was on fire!

"What?" she fell out of her bed, thankfully escaping a flaming piece of the ceiling, and crawled across the room quickly. She wiped her mint green hair out of her face. Somehow she managed to escape her house but things had gone a turn for the worse. The whole town was on fire!

"Stop staring and go!" shouted an old man as he hobbled away with a cane in his hand but was smashed by a flaming piece of wood.

"Jose!" She wanted to pull the wood from away from him, but she knew she would be too late. He was already dead. AS the crowd continued to come, they pushed her with them.

"Yukina!" a young girl about six cried from a blazing house.

"No! Rosa!" she (Yukina) cried and tried to fight the crowd. Then the blaze swallowed the little girl... Yukina lost hope. "No... I'm sorry but... Forgive me..."

---

**Gatos Feos**

"I'm keeping an eye on you, Hiei!" Kuwabara said confidently, his arms crossed. "I've heard those stories about you in New York and in Chicago."

"Sure. I'll kick your sorry ass first," Hiei growled, already irritated by the exorcist.

"Hey, I'm a Texas-tiger! I'm ready to take a little runt like you! Don't mess with Texas!"

"Don't forget the country you were born in before it was Texas."

Shizuru, Kuwabara's sister broke between the two. "My freak brother..."

Kuwabara broke in. "I'm coming! I won't get anywhere just staying here. I'm get plenty of demons... I bet if I get Hiei I'll get raised by two ranks!"

"Is that all you think about?" She sighed. "Fine. You don't go to school anyway..."

"Don't cry during a battle," Yusuke added.

"Is that a challenge?" Their eyes met for a while. Then Yusuke walked away, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah! You better run!"

"We're leaving you," Hiei said with little emotion.

"What? No you're not!" Kuwabara ran after the three.

---

**Ramirez (One week later)**

It was a burnt down town. The houses were all charred with the occasional unburnt piece of wood. There was a burned skeleton of an old man that was under a piece of once blazing wood. It was a sight that was quite common when the four looked around.

"Man... The hell happened here?" Yusuke was amazed by the condition of town.

"Fire demons maybe?" Shuichi suggested. "I've heard they can create harsh gangs. They could have had something against the town here or something."

"Yeah... Whatever it was, the exorcists must've been too stupid to do anything if it _were_ demons. That or they were too weak..." Kuwabara replied frowning at a skeleton.

Hiei shook his head, sighing. He walked around. "Look for survivors."

"What's _your _problem?"

"How 'bout you shut up and do it?"

"Yeah. If we're lucky, we might find someone who would tell us what happened..." Shuichi tried to avoid the topic. He knew that Hiei was worried that his sister was killed.

It took an hour for the four to search the whole town. The search was futile. There was no one there except a few animals.

"No one. No disappointment. Didn't have my hopes up..." Yusuke sighed, scratching the back of his head.

Hiei bowed his head and prayed.

Shuichi watched him as he did this, not sure if he was just feeling bad for him. "...How late do you think we are?"

"I think... Four days..." Hiei answered, sounding uncertain.

"And your sister? What of her?"

"She;'s still alive. Probably barely made it out alive. If I'm right, she could have gone right to Laredo. It's close by."

"You have a sister!" Kuwabara gasped. ("And he's off," Yusuke growled under his breath.) "Two demon... I'll have to exorcize you both! I bet she's a pint-sized little runt like you! ...And ugly!"

"He had to mention that last part..." Yusuke sighed, irritated with him.

_He doesn't know how wrong he is..._ Hiei thought as he listened to Kuwabara's rant.

"Kuwabara, shut up and got to Houston and tell someone who cares!" Yusuke shook his fist at Kuwabara.

Hiei shook his head and turned to Shuichi. "You're the only sane one here. Let's go. Laredo's about a couple of hours from here..."

---

"I can't believe I forgot the tea for Genkai!" she rushed back to the store, but then she crashed into a very round man. That round man was the mayor, who was out for a walk. (His roundness, however, made it seems less possible.)

He was Mayor Gonzo Tarukane. He was a bald man with a lumpy head. He had greedy looking black eyes that were round, with a look in them a pig had when he was about to eat. He face was flabby; it sagged off his chin the same way a pig's does. His skin was tanned and looked heavily stretched.

Tarukane rubbed a finger that had rings jammed on it, across his forehead. "Stupid girl. Watch where you're going..." He stared at her oddly colored eyes... _Ruby red eyes? Ah... A demon..._

"I'm sorry... I... I was in a hurry because I... I forgot..."

"I should have an assassin sent after you, but I'm a kind man..."

"Don't kill me... I have a sick friend here... I have to take care of her..."

"I see where this is going. Come with me..." He grabbed her by the arm, but then... WHAM!

A rough voice said to him, "Even I know not to pick on a girl and I have no morals."

The mayor was helped up by his servant, Sakashita, and he frowned at Hiei, who was cracked his knuckles. "You little...! I'll let it pass since I'm such a kind man. Come, Sakashita!" The mayor waddled away, his servant following.

Hiei flipped the mayor off. He sighed and turned back to the girl. She had mint green hair that she had tied back with a red ribbon. Her innocent looking eyes were a ruby eyes. She looked a little sad though, even when she was smiling, it still looked like she was sad. She was pale from not going in the sun a lot and was about Hiei's height. She looked like she was sixteen when she was twenty-five.

_She looks..._ Hiei asked her, "Are you alright? Bastards like that are always doing stupid shit like that."

Yukina's eyes widened, not sure wether to be more shocked by his explicit gesture towards the mayor or his "bad language". She mentally shrugged it off. "Uh... Yes. Thank you... I guess..."

Hiei helped her to her feet. "What's your name?"

"Me? I'm Yukina..."

"All right. Stay out of trouble."

"Um, o... Okay." Yukina ran towards the store. _He was kinda scary.. But he reminds me of my dream..._

He picked something off the ground. _She dropped this..._ His eyes widened_ No way..._

---

Yukina rushed home to she her friend, who was sitting at the table, drinking the last of her tea.

Her name was Genkai, a seventy year old woman. Her once wavy pink hair, is now a grayed white that fell in waves still, which made her hair look similar to a mop. Her brown eyes were wide and full of wisdom. He face was full of wrinkles and turning into an odd pale yellow. She was also quite small, too, about three fourths of Yukina's height.

"You didn't need to do that, Yukina," Genkai replied with Yukina told her she brought tea.

"Oh, but it's the least I can do for you, _comadre_. You were kind enough to give me a place to stay... It's the least I can do for you..."

"Well, sure..." _No use arguing with her. That's Yukina. Polite, but somehow stubborn. Odd combination if you ask me. I wonder what happened the day her town burnt down... A girl with that much generosity... I would figure she would have brought the whole town..._

"You know. I think I found my brother."

"Your brother?"

"I never told you? We were separated at birth. I've wanted to search for him, but I'm not sure where to start. I think I finally saw him..."

"Mm. Hope you find him." _She's also odd. She sounds like she saw an angel... Then again, I'm a senile old hermit_._ I wouldn't know what it's like... A long lost brother... Hm..._ She was startle when Yukina got up to go outside.

Yukina stared at the sky. _That man... I never asked for his name. His eyes were like mine only cold. I wonder if he was looking for someone too..._

_...My brother's name was Hiei. My mother came from a long generation of Ice Maidens that came to Mexico. She came back to Ice world after she was born_, _she returned not long after... She met my father at one point but he left her before she knew she was pregnant. She saw it coming. Every Ice Maiden gets pregnant every hundred years... But we were twins. I was spared... But my brother had to be given up... I know he's still alive... And I feel bad because he lived with no family. I wonder what happened to him..._

Yukina sighed. "I wish I could find my brother..."

"Looking for your brother?" the rough voice asked.

Yukina turned around and saw Hiei. "Oh... You heard. Yes..."

Hiei pulled the piece of paper from his pocket. "You dropped it."

"Oh... Thank you... Erm... I never asked your name..."

"Hiei."

"Hiei...?"

"Yeah... What's with you?"

"My brother's name was Hiei, or so I'm told."

"Creepy. He didn't die, did he?"

"I don't think so. When I found out a few years ago, I started to pray every night for him..." She noticed Hiei looked a little bored. "Ehh... Sorry. My friends used to say I talk to much..."

Hiei put a hand over his mouth to hide a smile. "No problem." Silence. "That picture. It's your mother, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Saw the similarity."

"There's one of my father but... I think his friend might have it or something...'

"You're lucky you can cherish the fact that you have that at least... I... I saw my father but I never _really_ knew him. I was in an orphanage when I was five. Even the people who raised me before that left me..." He walked away, his hands in his pockets.

Yukina watched him leave. _He... was abandoned...?_

**End chapter 8**

Notes:  
1. "Don't forget the country you were born in before it was Texas."- Texas was also part of Mexico. I forgot how it got admitted into the Union. It was admitted in 1836.

Rushed but...


	9. Urgent

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 9**

"The town is so dull..." Yusuke sighed.

"Tell me about it. It's demon-free. Man, I wish there were some to exorcize. I mean, you guys won't let me exorcize Hiei," Kuwabara whined.

"What's he do to you that makes you wanna exorcize him?"

"Other than exist," Shuichi added dryly.

"You guys don't get it!" Kuwabara shot up. "Didn't you about what happened in New York? Then, the guy has the nerve to come back to America when he's fifteen and start a killing streak from Chicago all the way to the Rio Grande! Some damn priest let him out of jail! These aren't just bedtime stories! They're the truth! He's probably gonna stab ya'll in that back!" He slammed a hand on the table to punctuate his point. "And..." He froze and turned around.

"Damn right," Hiei said as if proud of everything Kuwabara said. "Why'd you stop barkin', you dog? 'Fraid I'll kill you if you continue?"

"Didn't I already mention my exorcism skills? I'll do it now."

"Go ahead. My immunity's stronger than you think."

"Wait! You're not serious, are you!" Yusuke gasped.

_A fire demon's worst enemy is holy water... I know Kuwabara has that up his sleeve..._ Shuichi thought.

"Then let's hope you _don't _make it!" Kuwabara threw a small bottle of holy water which broke when it hit Hiei's head.

The water rolled into Hiei's eyes which twitched at its touch. His body went into spasms. He felt a tingling sensation on his skin... But that was the only effect it had, even when Kuwabara recited the spell.

_His body should be disintegrating by now... What does he have that...? Wait. That little rascal. He has protection._ Shuichi thought. _He must have experience with this kind of thing._

"Okay, what's going on?" Yusuke blinked twice.

"To be honest..." Hiei reached down his shirt and pulled out a crucifix. "I take this everywhere with me so a weak exorcist can take me down..."

_Ingenious_ Shuichi thought.

Genkai burst into the room. She turned to Hiei. "I need help! You were the one with Yukina, weren't you?"

"Yeah. Why? Whatever it was, it wasn't me," Hiei replied.

"She's been kidnaped!"

"What?"

Genkai handed note to Hiei. It read:

"_I have Yukina. If you want to see her again, I suggest you come prepared for a fight. If you don't make it, you have been the source of my fortune..._

_The Mayor, Gonzo Tarukane_"

"Fortune? I don't get it? You mean he's sick enough to sell that girl as a concubine or something?" Yusuke asked.

"The mayor collects demons. She would pay thousands of pesos to but Hiei from you..." She shook her head nervously. "Yukina's a demon. You can see it her eyes. No human would have naturally red eyes. Tarukane must have seen that. Who knows what'll happen..."

"Demon? What kind?" Shuichi asked.

"Ice maiden," Hiei answered.

"How do you know?" Kuwabara growled, feeling irritated at a loss.

"I saw a picture of her mother. This could be trouble. An Ice Maiden's tears aren't like humans. They become gems. Worth thousands of pesos. Could be what he meant."

"Where's Tarukane live?" Yusuke asked Genkai.

"Outskirts of town," she pointed. "That direction. You realize he'll use his collection on you boys?"

"You sure Yukina's gone?" Kuwabara asked. "I mean, she could've just left a while and this could be a reason for him to kill you..."

Genkai shook her head. "As many death threats as I've gotten... Yukina left her picture. She never leaves without it..."

Kuwabara took the picture and stared at it, suddenly turning pink.

"You boys are up to the challenge, then? Hiei, I know you are what with the reputation you've got."

"I've got my Spirit Gun. Kuwabara here's got a Spirit Sword. And Shuichi's got his Rose whip. Yeah we're good. Ready team?" Yusuke said confidently.

"YEAH! LET'SGOLET'SGOLET'SGO!" Kuwabara waved his arms around like he was trying to fly, hitting Shuichi in the process.

"That hurts..." Shuichi rubbed his throbbing forehead. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm... I'm in love..."

"Excuse me?" Hiei gasped disgusted. Kuwabara, of course, ran out right away. "He's in love, which her mother..." _MY mother!_

---

**One hour later...**

"Hiei, you seem a tad moody today," Shuichi commented with a smile.

"You don't get it, do you?" Hiei growled.

"No, I don't."

"Love struck, too?" Yusuke joked.

"Hell no! That's disgusting, Yusuke!" Hiei growled. "The girl who was kidnaped... Is my sister. That woman in the picture is my mother!"

"Wha...? I thought you said you were a fire demon!"

"I didn't say I wasn't half. Anyways... Whatever this fat ass Tarukane does, I'll 'mash his brains through the floor 'til there's nothing left of him."

"Man! Let us take a few turns. Don't hog him up!"

"HURRY UP! WE GOTTA SAVE YUKINA! It's our life's mission!" Kuwabara cried, crashing into a tree afterward.

"That was graceful," Hiei commented sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

They walked on, but then stopped. There was Tarukane's house. It was peaceful at first, but then a wall got in the way, with made it seem more like a decorated prison than a house.

"The great wall of... Mexico..." Shuichi stared.

"No easier way in, so we'll just climb our way in," Yusuke said.

"You excepted easier? It's the mayor and one the _collects demons_. I'd wanna keep exorcists and demonslayers away if I did that, too," Hiei replied.

"Demonslayers and exorcists are the same thing, aren't they?" Kuwabara asked.

"No, you retard. They're associated with each other but they're different people in different fields. An exorcist always works for the church. They deal more with possessions and blessings and stuff like that. They're also required to always have their equipment with them. (i.e. holy water, a cross for vampires, etc.) They also have to learn a few spells. The higher ups get more spells.

"Demonslayers work outside the church. They just kill the demons, whereas exorcists cleanse the demons. (The effect is still the same.) They also use Spirit Energy instead of spells. And they're more secretive about they're work unlike exorcists who pretty much have it tattooed on their forehead."

"Why is it that every time you open your mouth, I feel a bigger urge to smash your face into the ground!" Kuwabara shook his fist.

"Hurry up, you too! Yukina won't rescue herself!" Shuichi called to the two from the top of the wall.

"In a perfect world, she would," Yusuke added.

---

Yukina woke up to the unpleasant feeling of a sharp pain on the top of her head, AS she sat up, she ran a ran over the throbbing area and looking at her hand. Blood. Wait, blood! Frightened she fell backwards and let out a blast of cold air.

'W... Where am I?" she gasped to herself.

The birds on the window sill cocked their heads as they continued to chirp softly. Yukina felt an idea, she could escape through the window and climb down a tree. She walked to the window but when she touched it, it stung! What was on the window!

"So the rumors are true..." A laugh was heard. Yukina turned around to see the pig mayor, a ghastly smile on his piglike face. "I've heard Ice Maidens burn at the touch of those talismans. It's a good thing I put them on the window or we would have seen the day a demon girl like yourself takes flight... Heh heh heh..."

Yukina let out another burst of cold air.

"Now, now... Let's not be so cruel to each other, my dear..." He waddled towards her.

_Stay away from me._

"How 'bout we strike a deal here? You cry me a river of tears so I can get a fortune and then I'll let you have _some_ time of freedom."

She stared.

"So how 'bout we shake on it?" He held out a hand.

Yukina pulled out a sharp rock from the window and slashed the mayor across the face with it.

"You damn wench!" He backed away, pointing a sausage finger at her.

Sakashita ran in, "Sir?"

The mayor ran out, "I'll make sure you'll never get your freedom just for that! Not as long as I live!"

Sakashita sighed. "I hate these situations." He bowed to Yukina. "Well, good day to you, miss." He walked out.

---

"Come on, guys! Gimme a hand!" Kuwabara whined as he slid down the wall again.

"Two words, Kuwabara: Hell and no," Hiei growled.

"I'm watching for demons," Shuichi replied.

"You're fun to watch," Yusuke laughed.

"Damn you, Urame-" The gate swung open before Kuwabara finished. "My lucky day! Yeehaw!"

_Be strong, sister. We're coming..._ Hiei thought...

**End chapter 9**

Notes:  
1. Forgot this one last time. Comadre- A female friend. Compadre is a male friend.

I'm sticking to the original story here. Not much to say. Reviews are appreciated!


	10. Heart of Sword

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 10**

"Okay, we're here now. Where's the fight?" Yusuke looked around. "You can't just walk through here without one…"

"Maybe it was just to scare us off?" Kuwabara suggested.

"Hardly think that's the case. Dirty bastards like this one don't lie if they feel confident they can stop us. I know the type," Hiei answered.

"Why? 'Cause you're one of them?"

"Don't start," Shuichi sighed irritated. "Hey… You hear that?"

As the earth began to shake violently, Yusuke cried, "You mean, 'You feel that'! What the hell is going on!"

A strange creature stopped right in front of the four, its eyes shifting from one person to the other. It was a gray hippogriff. It was about the size of a moose. It had golden eyes that burned with fury. It had wide gray wings that were about six feet long. It had large hooves that looked like it could smash a human without a problem… Suddenly it took off in the air, screeching.

"What was _that_ about?" Yusuke said under his breath, cocking an eyebrow.

"Look out! It's coming back!" Kuwabara cried, getting his Spirit Sword ready for a fight.

"Told you there was gonna be a fight…"

A griffon swooped down to attack Hiei, but those golden claws barely missed slashing his eyes out.

"Do we feel special? We're the first people in Mexico to see European demon," Hiei commented sarcastically as he shot the griffon's left wing.

"Let's just hope no one else sees these ugly things!" Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun and barely missed blowing the hippogriff's head off.

A scorpion with a cat's head crawled to Kuwabara. just after he finished the hippogriff off.

"This is crazy!" Yusuke exclaimed as he dodged the scorpion's stinger.

"If only we _did_ Tarukane by surprise, then we'd have some fun!" Hiei half-joked.

"This is fun? What the heck is wrong with you?" Kuwabara growled as he sliced off one of the griffon's legs.

A deafening screech shot into Shuichi's ears.

_What is that?_ Shuichi thought as he turned around to see an odd creature. It was a mix of a rooster and a snake. Its tongue slithered out of its beak. Its tail was made up of many colorful snake tails that squirmed around. And those deep green eyes! They were… They were… And Shuichi felt himself hit the ground.

"What the…? Shuichi!" Hiei gasped.

---

"It's alright, son. You'll be fine…" the man with the light brown hair whispered to the crying five year old child in his arms. He stopped in front of the orphanage and stared at it, a deep feeling of sorrow rising from the pit of his stomach.

"It's nice to see you again, but I can't say the same about your timing," Koenma greeted with a yawn. "I'm not sure midnight's the best time to bring him in."

"The exorcists would say the same thing. You know how they are."

"Yeah. I'm finding it hard to catch a sympathetic exorcist. You don't need to worry though. I made arrangements with them before you came. If they don't touch Ruka, they won't touch your kid. So tell me, what would JJ Thompson be doing with a boy like this here? I understand that you might not have anywhere for him to go, but why Mexico?"

"It's not like that. I'm fine with watching him since his man whore father won't. But 'the guys' don't like it. This whole thing…." He sighed.

"I see. What happened?"

"We were in New York and well, he… Accidentally shot someone… He's lucky to at least be alive. If I let the leader get a hold of him…" He shook his head.

Koenma nodded. They walked into the orphanage.

Ruka waited for them in the entryway, a candle in her hand. She had red hair that fell a little more that halfway down her back. Her eyes were blue and had a motherly gleam to them. She was well-known for her brutal punishments of whippings with her switch that she hid in one of the closets. At the time, she was wearing a coat (It was a chilly October night.) over white dress.

"Whew! It's freezing out there!" Koenma shivered as he closed the door.

"I told you it would be," Ruka replied almost like she was scolding him. (The child would soon find out that was the way her voice always sounded.) She turned to John. "I've already have everything ready for him. The priests only want to know…" Her eyes fell to an onyx teargem the fell to the floor. "…What kind of demon he is. If you want to know why, it's for an emergency if he ever gets _too_ out of hand."

Feeling reassured by the last sentence he answered slowly, "His father was a fire demon and his mother was an ice maiden." He put the child, who kept his eyes glued to the floor, down.

Ruka eyed him. The boy was thin. Very thin. He had raven hair stuck straight up in spikes with an outburst of white just where his forehead was. He had large ruby eyes (It was hard to tell, though. His hair was covering his eyes.) that looked like they had seen too much.

"Don't worry, John. He'll be fine," Koenma added a smile to make sure the light haired man would hear the doubt in his voice. _Or at least until the townspeople find out…_

John's ocean blue eyes fell back onto the boy and he whispered to him, "I guess this is goodbye, son." He kissed him on the top of his head the way a father did when he leaves his child to go to work. He walked out in what felt like slow motion.

The child looked up to see the door close. "He's not comin' back…" Tears welled up in his eyes.

Ruka patted Hiei on the head, a gesture he might have enjoyed if he were older. "Don't worry. You'll see him again. Now we just need your name."

"They call me…"

---

Shuichi shot up screaming, "HIEI!"

Hiei, who was sitting nearby, screamed back, "WHAT?"

"Well, I'll be…. It's a miracle…" Kuwabara mumbled in disbelief.

"Yelling a conversation?" Yusuke joked even though he knew what Kuwabara meant.

Kuwabara ignored him. "How can a human be revived with demonic energy?" He turned to Hiei. "Are you a witch?"

"No, the guys upstairs hate me and took me back," Shuichi laughed. _Man, that dream was scary…._ "What happened? Did you save Yukina yet?"

"Not without you," Yusuke replied. "I've known you about three weeks and I already know that it ain't a party without you. Besides that, I think Hiei wouldn't wanna go without you."

"Urameshi, I swear…" Hiei growled. "Let's get going then. The sooner Tarukane's dead, the better."

"We finally agree," Kuwabara added.

---

So an hour passed and the four found themselves in front of the door. Kuwabara, who was eager to save Yukina and "be reunited with his true love", was body-slamming against the door.

"Kuwabara," Shuichi got his attention. He pointed to the door knob. "I think it would help if you turned it."

"…I knew that!" Kuwabara grumbled, turning a light shade of pink in embarrassment.

Inside was a hall long hallway that was full of doors. Whether it was to throw burglars off or just for show, nobody would be sure. At the end of it was a stairway to the hall leading to Tarukane's bedroom on one end, and the other…

"I feel her… She's just up those stairs…" Kuwabara smiled. "PAITENCE LADY OF THE SNOW! I AM COMING TO SAVE YOU! And at last, we shall be reunited…"

"So tell me, Kuwabara, since when were you even _united_?" Hiei asked smugly.

"Can it, Shorty!"

"I'm sorry to say, that shan't be happening soon," Sakashita shouted to them from the hall at the end of the stairs, a sword in hand. "I challenge you to a gentleman's challenge."

"Okay… Stating the obvious…" Yusuke grumbled.

"Lemme take this one," Hiei said to him, more of a command than a statement. "You go on. I'll finish this one fast. Haven't tried out a swordfight in a few years. I think I'm rusty."

"Ah, what a gentleman. Letting yourself fall before your friends…" He laughed as the other three went passed him.

Hiei swung his sword around in the air a few times as if to get used to it. "Ready, lap dog?"

"What did you…?"

"It doesn't matter. Enough said!" Hiei lunged for his enemy who dodged the swing that would have sliced his head off. Hiei backed off so Sakashita's swung would just give him a minor scratch the taller man increased his speed to try to draw out more blood. He only accomplished swinging too high.

"I know I'm a small target, but you can at least _try_ to hit me!" Hiei mocked him as he dodged another swing. "I thought you wanted to cut _me_ down, not my hair."

"Enough chit-chat!" Sakashita stabbed him through the shoulder.

"Still too high…" Hiei lit him on fire and ran after the three. "I'll let you suffer…"

---

They walked into a dark room where the only lighting was a bunch of candles that were scattered around the room. It was intended to be used as an attic, but Tarukane used it to hide his demon collection which was now gone. (Most of the demons just ran away without fighting the four.) The room next door was where he his Yukina, but wait…

"What the hell…?" Yusuke blinked twice as he looked around the room. "Hey… That bastard's got a window on the other side of the room. He's watching… Get down here and fight like a man!"

Tarukane titled his head mockingly. 'Me fight and get blood on me? Never! How would you like to fight my body guards? They call themselves the Brokers of Darkness…"

"No… He doesn't mean…" Shuichi mumbled.

And the door opened slowly with a creak… A large muscular man walked in first. His raven hair was partially shaved. His eyes weren't seen because he wore a hat that covered them up. He looked to be in his late twenties…

Then a smaller man sauntered in. He was skinny and pale. His gray hair was wavy and fell halfway down his back. His black eyes were large and appeared to be bulging out.

"The Toguro Brothers!"

_Oh no…_ Yukina thought.

**End chapter 10**

Sorry the chapter seems so short. I guess I was in a hurry….

I decided to stay with the original story this time…. By the way, I'm pretty sure sunglasses weren't around at the time so I couldn't give the younger Toguro sunglasses. Man it's gonna be a pain writing the fight scene since the two have no first names….

Review please!


	11. Live To Tell

**Ride Like the Wind  
Chapter 11**

"What do you know about these guys, Shuichi?" Yusuke asked nervously.

"Not much. I know they're demons of extraordinary strength," Shuichi answered.

"That shriveled one sure looks like a demon," Kuwabara replied, eyeing the older Toguro with disgust.

"'Shriveled'! You idiotic little ape!" the older Toguro growled as he perched onto his brother's shoulder. "You don't look any better!"

"Whatever! You know it's true!"

"What can they do? Do you know?" Yusuke asked.

"I don't know. But their aura... It feels... Powerful," Shuichi shook his head, feeling a bit worried himself. _I didn't see this coming. I don't think we're ready to fight these guys just yet. Hate to admit it, but I'm scared that we might get killed..._

"Muscle expansion," Hiei said.

"What? That came out of nowhere!" Yusuke said back.

"No. I'm telling you what they can do. The younger one can expand his muscles. That's all I've heard about him."

"Please tell me the younger one's the bigger one."

"What made you think not? As for the other one... Can't say. Probably can make himself uglier than he already is if that's possible..." He unsheathed his sword, ready to fight.

"Why you little..." The older Toguro scrunched up.

"What's he...?" Shuichi gasped.

"Looks like this could get interesting..." Hiei smirked.

"Doesn't recognition feel good, brother?" the younger Tougro asked his brother, more of a statement than a question. "Yeah, you're right. All I can do is a modest muscle expansion. As for my bother..." He held a up a twisted looking sword that once was his brother. "This pretty much speaks for itself."

"How original..." Yusuke mumbled sarcastically.

"You're going to regret calling me shriveled!" the older Toguro growled.

"How 'bout you regret your vocal cords and shut the hell up for five minutes! You're fricking annoying!" Hiei growled.

"Bastard!"

"Why is it that you always have something to say? Are you part parrot and need to stand on your brother's shoulder? That would definently explain why you're always talking." Hiei beckoned for the Toguro brothers to try and attack him.

"BROTHER, KILL HIM!"

Hiei barely dodged getting smashed into the ground. At last, the battle had begun.

_This'll be easy..._ Yusuke thought just as he fired a Spirit Gun bullet._ Heh. One more to go and we're fee to take fat ass down!_

The dust cleared and...

The younger Toguro smirked, holding up his arm to show his brother transformed into a shield. "My brother's become quite talented with his power. Why, he could be a vase in a room and we won't know it. Impressive, is it not?"

"Damn you! Just when I was getting all cocky!"

_Don't back down while he's talking, Yusuke!_ Kurama thought. "Rose whip!"

The younger Toguro wasn't quick enough to see what happened. His brother, who changed back into a sword, had the Rose Whip wrapped around him.

"Don't touch me with your dirty little weeds, boy!" I don't want you to think you're even worthy of scratching me! It's mockery! My brother's strength can tear it off!" the elder Toguro screamed. Right after that, one third of the older Toguro was sliced off. "BUT HOW!"

If you had stopped talking for a while, maybe I would have been kind enough to give you a heads up. To be with the point, my Rose Whip isn't like those 'dirty little weeds' you see on the road. The thorns on my Rose Whip can cut through anything," Shuichi explained, his voice cold. "Even rock and metal."

The elder Toguro changed back into his original form and was frightened; his legs were sliced off! As he screamed, he twitched like he was having a seizure.

"Let's forget that retard. He'll bleed to death," Hiei said as he turned to the younger Tougro. "You're next."

"I'll smash you all into a pulp!" the younger Toguro screamed just as he missed smashing Kuwabara.

---

Yukina, meanwhile, was watching in horror and she mumbled, "They don't deserve this..."

Tarukane laughed at that. "Ha ha ha... That's rich. 'They don't deserve this.' Ha ha ha... Dearie, they broke into private property and were planning to attack me! Murder! Tell me what is not wrong with this picture."

"And you kidnapped me! That's just as wrong! They're trying to save me!"

The mayor was angry. His sagging eyebrows sunk into a frown and he slapped Yukina. He grabbed her by the chin with his sausage fingers. "See here, missy. This is how it is. You listen to me and life will be jolly again."

_But why? Why do I always cause things like this to happen? _She lowered her eyes.

"Keep watching!" he turned her head back to everyone fighting. "You'll watch this and remember that this is how it is for anyone that will try and save you!"

---

Toguro slammed Kuwabara into a torch.

"Kuwabara!" Shuichi cried.

To Shuichi's surprise, Hiei pounced on Toguro and slashed him across the chest until he was flung away. Was he defending Kuwabara?

Then things got weird. Hiei was pulled to the ground just as he was about to slice Toguro's head off. He was then kicked across the room into a torch. After that he was dragged across the room by the same thing that pulled him down.

"What the hell?" Hiei growled as he lit the thing on fire. Then a cackle was heard.

Hiei's face went white. "No way. No way in hell..."

The floor cracked and from the floorboards emerged the elder Toguro, who laughed. "You think you killed me?"

"Wha...? Go back in the floor and die like a dog!" Kuwabara growled. "Or I'll have to help ya do it!"

"My brother forget to mention something else about my powers. Not on l can I shape-shift, I can also move me organs!"

"I'm not sure that's something you should be proud of.." Shuichi mumbled.

"That's gross!" Yusuke spat.

"Oh, get over yourself, you prune thing!" Hiei growled as he barely missed stabbing the elder Toguro's head. He was stabbed by the elder Toguro's fingers and was thrown in some candles.

"Hey!" Kuwabara cried as the Toguro brothers were moving in for the kill. "Don't kick a man that's down! Hiei's a demon, too! Both of you are! How can you do this to your own kind!"

"Foolish boy! Don't you understand! It's kill or be killed!" the elder Toguro yelled at him.

"It's hard to be believe you were once human..." Shuichi growled. "You had no love for humans and you can kill a demon just as easily." He shook his head. "I've had enough. I know you do, too. A brother doesn't have the heart to kill his own brother."

"I've had enough of their sentiment! Toguro brothers, finish them off!" Tarukane ordered.

"No problem," the younger answered as he picked up his brother who was a sword again.

"Shot gun!" He can't block all of my shots...

Kuwabara tried to make his Spirit Sword but the burns on his back were too much for him; he fainted.

"Dammit, why can't you ever stay out of trouble?" Yusuke growled under his breath.

"Rose wh-" Shuichi was grabbed by the younger Toguro before he could make the Rose whip. He was then smashed into the ground. Shuichi could've sworn he heard something crack when he hit the ground. _Oh, god... Please don't let it be my neck..._ He opened his eyes, then winced and tried really hard not to scream when he saw he was laying in a puddle of blood.

"I've had enough of this..." Hiei growled when he hopped back on his feet, putting his sword away. "Yusuke, get Shuichi away and the three of you stay outta the way."

"Why...?" Yusuke asked.

"Do it." His voice went cold.

"Now you wanna go down one at a time? Bah! My brother and I can take you without trying!" the elder Toguro cackled.

"So you think..." Hiei flared up with black energy.

Shuichi twitched and mumbled. "That energy... It can't be..."

"What?" Yusuke turned to the red head.

"The Dragon of the Darkness Flame..."

"Fill me in."

"It's an art forbidden in the Human Realm. It calls on energy from the Underworld..." _The thing we should be worrying about should be whether or not Hiei can control it. Many have tried to master it, but died in the process. If he can't then..._ He thought of Yukina. _We can all be in trouble...  
_  
"What's wrong, brother?" the elder Toguro gasped, sensing his brother's fear.

_Here it is_... "Dragon of the Darkness Flame!"

The Toguro brothers were frozen in place. They were then swallowed by the dark energy that had taken the form of a dragon. It was over in a heartbeat.

"I... I have to leave the country..." Tarukane gasped in shock. "Come on Yukina!" Suddenly the pig faced mayor fell to the ground, blood running down his neck.

"That was for all of us.." Yusuke mumbled as he fell over.

Yukina ran around the other room to see if everyone else was still alive.

Hiei took the moment when Yukina was relieved to find everyone okay to give her back her picture. "Someday, you'll remember to keep it with you..."

"I'm... I'm sorry..." Yukina whimpered.

"Not your fault this happened," Hiei replied. "Don't apologize."

"I.. It's just... I was thinking back... I've always... Caused trouble without meaning to, but..." Tears formed in her eyes. "I guess..."

Hiei knew he wasn't getting through to her. "Let's go back to Genkai. She was scared to death."

"Sure..."

_Don't worry, sister. The humans will always accept you and you will always have a place in the world but... There are also demons out there who never get accepted by humans no matter how hard you try. There are also demons who don't accept them. Leaving nothing for them..._

**End chapter 11  
**  
Nothing to say. I'm really tired. Oh, and before I go... I'd like it if you checked out my two one shots I made last week: _Within My Heart_ and _To Remember_.

Review!


	12. Power Of Love

**Ride Like the Wind  
Chapter 12**

The heat beat down on Mexico early that morning. It was summer at the time and was coming in fast the way it did every year. Despite the tiring heat, there was still a liveliness in the air what with people running around to get chores done before it got any hotter and children playing outside. The breeze came in but it didn't cool anyone off; it only swept the dust back onto neatly swept porches.

John sighed as he watched the people pass by the window peacefully and turned back to his friend's son. He sighed again and brushed his sandy hair from his ocean blue eyes. He eyed the bruises on the seven year old. No matter how hard Hiei tried to hide the fact that he was beaten, John always found out.

"And you let them do this to you?" he asked.

Hiei, who was staring at the older man, lowered his eyes. "...They hate me 'cause I'm a demon. They do this ever' day... I can't fight back. If I go to demons, it won't be better, will it? They ain't like Touya are 'ey?"

_Sharp kid. I know I can't leave him with demons if he can't take the beatings from humans. I know that demons are violent... But... Humans have a real heart. I know what they're doing now is worse than what a demon can do... Damn.._. John thought. _Kid's eyes look cold. They used to be empty but... Guess I should've known..._

Hiei stared out the window and made a slight whimper at his own reflection. He looked at John to make the fox think it was out of pain and not out of fear of his own face. It was true. His eyes had gone cold to show hatred for the world. It was that change that frightened Hiei the most. It wasn't the bruises on his face. It wasn't the gash across his forehead. It wasn't a split lip. It was his eyes.

"Anything new today?" John asked only to break the silence.

"I killed an animal today. I think it was supposed to be a coyote. I didn't look. But it was fun." He did his best to stray away from the topic of his beating though the word "killed" reminded him of it. _Am I really the spawn of the devil? Am I really that evil?_

"You what?"

"I... Killed an animal." He was afraid he would get hit, a foolish thought considering that John never raised a hand at him.

"Why? Was it for food or...?"

"I just wanted something to do... And I wanted... I killed it. I thought it would be fun and I've just always wanted to kill someone I dunno why!" And he remembered a woman's voice in the back of his mind that screamed to another (He believed it was his mother.) _"He'll kill us all! These kinds of children would only lust for blood!"_

John stared. He heard it once from one of the women Hiei's father had "courted". She said something about having a child with a man would mean she would have a male child that would grow up to be violent. Back then it sounded really stupid, but now it made a little sense, but not much.

"Are you mad...?" There was fear in his voice.

"N... No..." John hugged Hiei. "It's nothing. Just don't do it again, even if it's for self defense... Hold on a little longer... I'm sorry... I can't..."

---

Hiei sat up. _Goddamn dream... John..._ "Damn my arm stings... Oh shit..." He stared at his right arm to see it was black. "I just remembered the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. Should've known this was gonna happen. Ain't gonna feel better tomorrow." He walked out of the room he was in and into the entry room.

Then the door was slammed open and someone hopped in cheering, "Buenos dias!"

Hiei jumped in surprise and turned to see who the owner of the voice was. _Koenma and Botan..?_

"Hello! Didn't expect to see you here!" Botan greeted Hiei with the biggest smile she could manage. (_Damn, she has so much energy in the morning, but later in the afternoon she becomes such a bitch!_ Hiei once noted her smile.)

"What're you doing here? And is this why you always disappear for long periods of time?" Hiei managed to growl after overcoming the surprise.

"We're delivering something for Genkai!" Koenma answered, also a odd morning person. "As for the second one, I'm not telling; it's a secret."

"Whatever!"

Yusuke came staggering in, rubbing his eyes as if it would wake him up any faster, and he yawned, "Hwas... ith... eh... ellin?"

"Ah, Yusuke! There you are! I was looking for you at your home and your mother told me you left! Why'd you leave? What if I had to tell you something important like New York was gonna get blown up by gunpowder demons or something!" Koenma growled at the teen, still sounding slightly pleasant.

"I doubt that... You never have anything important for me to do. I just wanted to get out there and see more stuff so I went with Kurama and Hiei."

"Ugh..." He turned back to Hiei. "So it's been a while, mi'jo." (Hiei could sometimes swear this man had a bad cause of hormones after witnessing his many mood swings.)

"Don't call me that." Hiei turned his back to the priest.

"Okay. How's it going?" He patted Hiei's shoulder.

Hiei winced. "Damn you."

Koenma rose an eyebrow and examined the small demon's burnt arm. "Hey..."

"What?" Irritation.

"Have you been cooking again?"

"Oh, damn you! If I can live for ten damn years without burning my freakin' arm off, then you should know damn well it wasn't from cooking you dumb ass bastard!"

"Can't you take a joke? And another thing- Don't cuss dammit!"

Kuwabara stumbled in next, still half asleep, as he rubbed his eyes. "Hey... What're ya'll..." He noticed Koenma and his eyes widened like a fanboy that was going to get an autograph from his favorite singer. "Hey! Yer Koenma! You're my idol!"

Botan's eyes widened with surprise, but she then muttered under her breath so only Kuwabara could hear, "That's what they all say until they find out about..."

"Wow. That's nice to hear. Not many exorcists tell me that anymore..." Koenma smiled, but then made a dramatic voice. "I thought I would have to stay with demon slayers!"

"You know this guy?" Yusuke asked the exorcist.

"Yeah! He's only the greatest exorcist and traveling priest that ever lived in forever! (Koenma laughed like that was supposed to be a joke. "I wouldn't say that...") In fact, he can outdo any demon slayer! (Yusuke frowned. "Okay now. Demon slayers risk their asses and the exorcists get all the credit...") He's way better than that dirty punk that helped Hiei out of jail! You should tell them off!" Kuwabara ranted, the last sentence directed at the sweat dropping Koenma.

"I might... But... Uh... The thing is..." Koenma stuttered.

Hiei sighed. "He _is_ that exorcist."

It was Kuwabara's turn for his eyes to widen, not with surprise, but with shock . Then he realized what Koenma and Botan meant when they commented on Kuwabara's enthusiasm.

"Why'd he help you?' Yusuke asked. "Is he your dad or something?"

"Hell no! I'd kill myself if this 'tard was my old man! He only did it because he can't stop getting into everybody's business! It's not from the goodness of the heart, it's from a spoiled curiosity."

"Don't say that..." Koenma whimpered.

"I'm gonna check on Shuichi," Hiei growled and stomped out of the room. A tense silence followed.

"Hey, Botan. Remember when you were kids and you used to chase Hiei around to give him a kiss because you thought he was so cute?" Koenma asked.

"Yeah..." Botan clearly didn't get the point of what the priest was asking.

"Do you still do that?"

"No! He's become a nasty little man! I bet he gets the manure from the fields on his face! Who would want to kiss that!"

"Not fun. It was hilarious to watch."

---

Shuichi woke up to a pounding headache and a burning pain in his left side. He noticed that his left arm was in a sling. That was when he remembered the day before... He heard the door swung open. Hiei.

"How're you feeling?" Hiei asked, irritation in his voice.

"My injuries aren't as bad as I thought. See I just remembered that my left arm got broken and I guess I have a bad gash in my side. It hurts a lot but that only means that it's a minor injury. Might scar though... Nothing I won't heal!" Shuichi smiled to make his point. "Good thing I'm right handed or I wouldn't be able to write to Mom."

_Damn... I'm right-handed. Maybe I should've reconsidered the Dragon of the Darkness Flame..._ Hiei thought as he eyed his burnt arm.

"What happened to you? Was it from..."

"Nothing."

"That's a painful looking nothing."

"Look you! Quit asking! What do you care anyway?"

"Well, I gotta look out for my friends, right? But... I guess I'll quit asking then." Shuichi stared at the wall thinking of something to say. He saw from the corner of his eye that Hiei was staring at him as if in deep thought. "Hey, you know it's rude to stare."

Hiei shook his head and sat cross-legged on the floor. "Hey..."

"It's been a month, hasn't it?"

"Actually, it has hasn't it? As of today..." _Yeah... A month for Hiei. Three weeks since Yusuke. Two weeks for Kuwabara. Seems longer... I still remember crossing the border... The look on Mom's face when she heard I was accused or killing Sensui. She must be worried sick..._

Hiei's voice broke into Shuichi's thought. "Hey, kid. Why do you travel with me anyway?"

"That's the second time you asked. You know the answer."

"Yeah, but this time I want a honest answer. I think last time you lied so I can think you need me but you don't. So why?"

_But I really don't have anyone to turn to! Oh, who am I kidding? I could've stayed with Jin and hung out with Rinku and take care of Hiei's crops..._ "I dunno. Maybe I'm getting attached to you or something. The real question should be why you're letting me travel with you. I mean, you hate Americans right? I'm an American once you get down to it. I want an honest answer from you."

Hiei stared at the red head as if trying to take this in. Then he looked into Shuichi's emerald eyes as if the answer was in there. He leaned forward as if he were trying to get a better look into the red head's eyes. He stropped when his face was a few inches away from Shuichi's.

"It's too soon to say for sure..." Hiei was about to bite Shuichi's neck; the red head could feel the older man's fangs touching his neck...

Shuichi pushed him away. "Are you crazy! You can kill someone like that!"

Hiei's eyes looked disappointed. "Heh. Maybe I am. But I know it won't hurt a bit. You're not human." He walked out.

Shuichi felt his face burning up in a dark blush. _Man, my heart's pounding... I think... I think maybe I was just freaked out. That's all... Man, that was scary. What'd all that mean anyway?_

He shrugged it off and went into the room next door to see what all the commotion was about...

**End chapter 12**

Notes:  
1. Buenos dias!- Good morning!  
2. Mi'jo- A Spanish contraction that translates to "my son".

I haven't been getting much sleep lately. Not good. I apologize for the long update and this chapter's shortness.

Okay, if all my readers are still here, I'm going to let out the killer spoiler that I mentioned in chapter one. This is to become a shonen ai. If you don't like it, the door's in the back, or you could leave this on story alert and wait for me the finish this story and flame me about it or you could just skip the scene. (I only put it as a sentence like He kissed him. Nothing graphic.) Well, 'til next time, my loyal readers...

Review! (By the way, anyone look for my warning? I told you where to look if you're interest was piqued.)


	13. Serpentine Fire

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 13**

A month had passed since that day. Yusuke and Kuwabara followed the two back to Guerroro. Yusuke said that it was only to see what their town was like. (Shuichi thought it was just so he could have an excuse to stay away from his mother.) Kuwabara said he was going to exorcise any demon he ran into in Guerroro. (Of course, he found out that idea wouldn't work out...)

Since the four had left Yukina in Nuevo Laredo, it seemed like Hiei always had too much to think about. Shuichi often caught him brooding on the porch as the sun went down. It was almost as if he missed her already. The red head sometimes wondered if it was because he never told Yukina he was her brother. Come to think of it, why didn't he tell her...?

But... It was sometimes hard to think little of it. The same small man with the cold eyes that had killed Mayor Karasu not so long ago and walked away like it was nothing watching the sunset somberly...

It was also awkward the time Hiei caught the red head watching him. He stared at him waiting for the red head to say something to him.

"Uh... Hiei..." Shuichi managed to mumble before he burst out, "I think you should come inside! Chupacabra's gonna get you!"

Long blank stare. "Shuichi. I haven't seen Chupacabra since I was thirteen. I think he's in Texas right now. That and we were actually good friends so I doubt he'll suck my blood."

W... What...? "...You never know..."

"Whatever."

---

"El Diablo! I've heard o' him! 'At's a strong demon!" Rinku exclaimed when Shuichi told him about the trip from Guerroro to Nuevo Laredo.

_Not really..._ "Yup, the four of us had to defeat El Diablo," Shuichi replied with a smile.

"And the Broker of Darkness! What brave souls!" Koto, was also listening, cried.

"So why'd Hiei leave?" Rinku asked. "I think the thing about the mayor made sense but... Hiei has to work on his crops an' stuff. I remember the old folks said it was like when he went with JJ Thompson to America to be with the guy."

"JJ Thompson?"

"Don't you know? Johnathan James Thompson. The thief. They say he took care of Hiei when he was a little kid... Or so I've heard," Koto explained simply, a warmness in her voice. Wait? Warmness...? Oh geez...

"What kind of guy was he? Do you know?"

"He was gay!" Rinku burst.

"No, he wasn't that's only a rumor!" Koto growled. "He was really kind and clever and sensitive, sympathetic, compassionate, romantic, strange, enthusiastic, charming, honest, and other stuff that would make you think the last thing he is is a thief! ...They also said he was slightly feminine."

"Exactly. G. A. Y."

"Rinku, shut up I'm trying to talk to Shuichi!"

"You know he had to be! Besides that, you don't even know him! How would you know all that!"

"You wanna start something, punk!"

Why do I always get stuck in situations like this? Shuichi thought. Then he said. "Uh... You guys carry on. I've gotta go do something!" And he ran away after that was said while the two continued arguing.

---

Hiei wiped sweat off his forehead. _Damn this May weather. I'm not feeling hot, but damn! Somehow I sweat more in the summer without ever getting hot! I need to find a new job. Then he heard footsteps approaching. Oh goddamn you, Yusuke! Why the hell do you have to bug me now!  
_  
"Hey, Hiei! A fox girl and a kid with yo-yos are fighting! You wanna watch?" Yusuke asked with a laugh.

"Yusuke, what the hell am I doing right now?" Like I really wanna see Koto and Rinku fighting again...

"I kidding! God! Where's your sense of humor? Or did you kill it working too damn much?"

"What do you want?"

"Why're you being such a bitch?"

"Do you have something better to do?"

"...Not really."

"Go home then!"

"Oh, just hear me out!" He sighed and ran a hand through his greasy looking hair. "I happened to hear some of the old folks talking on my way here..."

"They always talk. Those senile bastards never know when to shut the hell up."

"I heard about a guy called JJ Thompson that took care of you when you were a smaller runt than you are now."

"Your point?" He glared at the demon slayer.

"You wanna see him again?"

"You wouldn't dare..." His eyes narrowed. "Returning a soul from the dead only means your own life. It's a forbidden art..."

"I know all that, geez. Koenma told me all about that. Didn't you check if Johnny was dead? Koenma told me this a while back. Your JJ's... Alive."

Hiei's large eyes widened and he felt a pit form in his stomach. Then his eyes narrowed again with distrust. _No, John can't be alive. I watched those bastards kill him right before my eyes._

"I'm guessing by your expression that you didn't. JJ's in America. Chicago, too."

"You're lying." _Bandits don't raise fools. _

"Swear to God." Yusuke held up a hand as if making it a vow.

"Go away! I'm working!"_ Bastard_.

Yusuke shrugged. "Nice to know that at least, right?" And he walked away.

_I know John died. I knew he was dead when his body fell cold on the floor. And I hated myself for just standing there and watching. I remember breaking down in tears when I killed those bastards that took his life. And the worst part was... They were my father's friends. John's friends. And... What the hell...? Why don't I remember the rest? _

"You killed people, Hiei! You killed people from all the way in Chicago until you got to Mexico! That's why you're being arrested!"

That's what I really did... Wasn't it...?

---

Hiei plopped on the porch. Paco meowed (Howled would have described the sentence better.) as he rushed to his "owner" in hopes of getting the daily table scraps early. The tortoise shell cat sat patiently. (Translation: "Hey, gimme some food, demon slave!")

"Damn, you cats have it easy... Too easy..." Hiei sighed and eyed the cat a little. "Is it me or have you been getting better? Who the hell's been feeding you so damn much? And while we're on the topic, why're you letting yourself get like that?"

Paco yawned. ("Fine, screw you then.") He plopped.

"You fat ass." He laid back. What was his attraction the Shuichi? Maybe it was because he reminded him of John. They were a lot a like in a way. But it wasn't the same he would feel for a brother. Then he started to think more about it. That time in Laredo it felt more like it was just to get Shuichi to say he was a demon. (It was a huge failure.) But... "Paco, don't shoot me for this, but... I think I might be in love with the boy."

Before he knew it, Hiei fell asleep...

---

"...ei! ...Hiei!" Shake, shake! "Hey, wake up!"

Hiei forced himself to wake up. He yawned and stretched. "Ugh... Wha tim is it...?"

Shuichi stood over him. "Looks like seven. At night, mind you."

"Se... Seven hours! Why didn't you wake me up!" _I slept six hours! Goddamn!_

"Well, I would've, but... Well, you looked so peaceful. You weren't snoring or tossing and turning... You looked like you were dead."

_Don't say dead._ "Ugh... Goddamn it."

"I tried to wake you up a while back, but you wouldn't wake up, does that make you feel better? And I also thought you needed a break. Sun up to sun down doesn't sound like good hours to me."

"I guess." He wobbled inside.

"Come on Paco!" He picked the cat up. "Man you're heavy! By the way, I made some tea. My mom used to make it when when she felt bad or if I was feeling sick."

"Who the hell said I was feeling bad or sick!"

"Trust me. I know." He smiled.

Hiei turned to the window._ No. Not with a fifteen year old kid I just met two months ago... But..._

Shuichi set a cup down and stared at the older man for a while. "Yusuke told me what he said to you... Just don't let it get you down. You might overload yourself feeling guilty about not telling Yukina... You know.. Yusuke didn't mean to hurt you or anything. It was out of good intentions. He wouldn't have told you if he knew it would've backfired. I'm not sure myself if he did think about it. He's sorry about the whole thing if you feel that bad... Just don't kill him. You're cool with him now, right?"

The pit in his stomach came back. He looked away and sighed. "It's not like we can talk it out and everything'll be fine. It's not like that at all. And all I did was stand there and watch him die. I should've done something to help him, but what did I do? I just killed those guys and… And..."

_"You killed people, Hiei! You killed people in Chicago until you got to Mexico! That's why you're being arrested!"  
_  
Hiei kicked the wall. "Damn it! All I did was kill those two guys and killed people all the way to Mexico! I would have killed myself if Koenma never did anything about it! If you asked Jin what happened to me, he would've told you my eyes were so red from crying, your hair would have looked like a light pink... And somehow... Somehow I get all this crap that John's still alive! What the hell am I supposed to say about that? It's been ten years and he should be ten years dead."

Hiei continued, sliding to the floor, his voice shaky now. "But it's not a total loss. Part of me is hopeful. I mean, what if Yusuke's right? What if John really is alive? Then another part of me is afraid to get my hopes up. Then it'll be worse than it was in the beginning. But... Really... What if John _is_ alive? What then? It's great that he is and I'll feel like a complete jack ass. But really, what? Will he be able to even look at me knowing that I've become a murderer? Is he just gonna turn away and wish I stopped living like all the humans here? Sure he counts as a criminal, too, but what if he changed? And... Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me? I'm just so damn confused!"

Shuichi stared for a while, not knowing what to say or do. _The real question should be why he told me that..._ He hugged the small demon and the two stayed like that for minutes or hours. The time didn't matter. It all felt the same. The room was filled with silence-too much silence- and a touch of nostalgia.

Hiei finally looked up. _To hell with it._

"Hey... Something wrong?" Shuichi asked.

Hiei was silent. He then kissed Shuichi and walked out. Shuichi stared at the wall like it was on fire. _Did he just...? Oh my god...! And I think I liked it_... "Paco..."

---

"Hey, Shuichi!" Yusuke ran to the red head. "...Uh... Hey, How's the little tiger doing?"

"Little...? Oh, Hiei? I dunno. I didn't hear him get up this morning..." Shuichi replied.

"Oh... I see... Why're you carrying Hiei's tools? Did he mess something up and need you to carry his stuff?"

"I think he's still asleep. I think he needs it. I'll do the work for him. Gotta get going!" He ran away.  
_  
Those two... Sometimes I wonder about them..._ Yusuke thought.

---

Shuichi made it out to the field. _Wow. After seeing how violent he is, I would've guessed that he had a green thumb... _

Shuichi.

Wha...?

You know who I am, Shuichi. It's been sixteen years. I need my freedom.

No.

How long do you intend to keep me in this dungeon? I need my freedom. I'm willing to use force to get my freedom. Sixteen years is too long to wait.

Youko, I can't free you. Not now. Why now?

This world you live in right now. It bores me. That demon, Hiei. Is that your toy, Shuichi? You could probably make him do anything with a little push... Just to get him wrapped around your finger. You know he's foolish enough to do it.

Youko Kurama I won't let you take over. I'll let you come out on the full moon...

How long is soon?

A few days. I'll let you out then. I promise.

It was your word...

---

Shuichi knocked on the door. "Hiei?" No answer.

He opened the door and he softly called the demon again.

Hiei sat up slowly, yawning. "Wha...?"

"So you decided to take the day off?"

"Day off? I just woke up..."

"Just... You could sleep your life way, man!"

"Sure."

"You look pale." He put a hand on Hiei's forehead. "You're burning up. You do need rest."

"That's normal."

"Nuh-uh! I've touched your face before and it wasn't that warm! Now you should go back to sleep!"

Without any more said, or his trademark "Hn.", Hiei laid back down. He stared at Shuichi, his eyes glowing in the moonlight that fell in his face. He was expecting Shuichi to say something more.

"You can't work with a fever like that so I'll work for you. Cool?"

Hiei's eyes fell to the floor as if disappointed that he couldn't work until that damn fever went away. If he had spoken he would have given a sarcastic, "Yes mother."

**end chapter 13**

Notes:  
1. Chupacabra- The legendary blood sucker found in Mexico, Southern California and Texas. It's been known to suck blood from goats. And the sighting began in about the sixties, but putting these things in are fun so who cares.  
2. Info about JJ Thompson- Koto made him sound Gary Stu-ish so I'll clarify with you. He was an alcoholic that happened to have a soft spot for children. That's all I'm telling you about him

3. Anything written like ("This") after an animal does something is their thoughts. Just for fun.

A shonen ai at last but not much romance for a while. And Shuichi the house wife.


	14. Beautiful Stranger

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 14**

_So comes the full moon…_

"Hey, it's Shuichi and Taco!" Yusuke cheered and he patted the cat on the head like he was a dog. The cat hissed and bit his hand. ("It's Paco, you bastard…") "Ack! Make 'im let go! I HATE YOU TACO!"

"Um, Yusuke, you his name is Paco, right?" Shuichi corrected him.

"Whatever. I was just off by one letter anyway…" Yusuke shoved his hands in his pockets. Come to think of it, he hasn't seen Hiei in a while. Oh, crap! What if he drove him to suicide! _No! I shouldn't think about things like that! Hiei is _not_ suicidal! …Even if he did say he saw John die right in front of him and loved him like a father and probably wanted to go with him and acted like a whiny little bitch all the time just to piss everybody off… No! Bad Yusuke! Bad! Must... Think... Of something retarded to get me off the subject! Tacos! Yes! Tacos! I… I think I've regained composure._

Shuichi cocked his head questioningly. "Are you feeling all right?"

"…Hiei didn't happen to commit suicide did he…?"

"W… What?"

"You have a lot of herbs!" Yusuke changed the subject to save himself from admitting his overactive imagination often screwed him up. "Are you a health nut now…?"

"Hiei has a fever. I just wanted to get him something so he feels better. Funny. I thought he would have gotten over it by now…"

"A pothole! In an action-packed fanfic like this!"

"If that's what you wanna call it."

"Wait a sec… Fire demons get fevers? Next you're gonna tell me Ice Maidens get colds. And you're gonna make him eat all that? I know Hiei eats a lot, but goddamn!"

"Not _all_ of it. And you don't eat it; you drink it in tea… I also got some of this for myself. I've been feeling a little…" Pause. "…Under the weather lately."

Yusuke sighed in his head. _Man, this guy. I swear if they get married… Wait, do they allow that here…? They act like this:_

"_Hey, I'm gonna be on a business trip. You better take care of the house or I'll come over here and slaughter you and burn thee remains and bury you in the backyard," the Hiei-husband-guy-person-thing growled as he stood in front of the door with a suitcase that was almost twice his size._

"_Okay, dear! Have fun! Love you!" the Shuichi-housewife-er… house-husband…?-replied as he... Er, she wiped her-or his-hands on his or her apron. And not just _any_ apron. It was a _frilly pink_ apron. He, arg… She added on a bright smile._

"_Yeah, well, I hate you!"_

_The brightness lost its color. Sadness aura, sadness aura…. Shuichi went back to cooking the freak of nature breakfast which contained a dried up toad, a peach pit, pancake batter, a paper clip, cafeteria food, chewed gum, and that creepy-ass kid from that one Stephen King book._

_Long silence._

"_Okay. I love you. Only a little."_

_At that moment, Shuichi cut off his finger. "OMG! Yay! Time for your goodbye kiss!"_

"_ACK! SHUICI, YOU JUST SLICED YOUR FINGER OFF! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Hiei ran away, dragging his monster suitcase away with him._

_What the hell am I thinking…?_ Yusuke laughed a little at his daydream.

"I'm glad you find feverfew funny…" Shuichi replied, noticing the demon slayer had tuned out.

"Feverfew…?"

"I gotta go." Shuichi stopped right when he ran a few steps. "Tonight's a full moon. This could mean chaos here. A demon slayer like you should watch their back if they don't want to get killed."

"Is it me or are you making less and less sense?"

"Forget what I said."

---

"Hiei, what'd I tell you about getting out of bed?" Shuichi asked the older man the way a mother would scold their child if they didn't clean up after themselves.

"Would you knock that shit off?" Hiei growled. "I'm not going to work since I know you'll be a bitch about it. I'll turn into a vegetable if all I do is lay around in bed all day waiting for my fever to go away. And while I'm still talking, it's just a damn fever! I feel way better right now! Would you quit getting all pissy about it!"

"I'm not doing it annoy you! I know that if you work you'll get worse. And that extra stress over Yukina isn't helping!"

"Well, sorry for having to help put food on the town's tables."

"Ugh…" Shuichi ran a hand through his hair irritably. He turned away from Hiei and started chopping something up for dinner. "If you wanna go out, then go. …Hope you get a heatstroke."

"You just told me to go back to bed. Make up your mind, you fag!"

Oh, that hurt. Really. Shuichi sliced his finger in half at that moment, rage burning inside him. "And what's that make you?" He placed his bleeding finger on Hiei's nose. "You _kissed_ a fag, then."

"You know you're bleeding…"

"I know that!" He smeared the blood all over Hiei's face.

Hiei stared at the red head like he was crazy. "…Yeah… And you know that I'm bi, right?"

"…Okay, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well… I go both ways but I still lean more towards the girls." And with that being said, he walked out like he was on a mission.

Long silence. "AUGH! MY FINGER HURTS LIKE HELL!"

_Shuichi, you realize that…_

_Youko, don't start._

_Then let me out. Now. But don't start checking me out while you're away._

_Youko, shut up._

Hiei happened to be listening to this telepathically. _Either I was right about Shuichi being a demon or the kid's got "another Shuichi" in there. But if there's another in there, then why's there an aura…? But… Doesn't he have a human mother? No, he never said anything like that. So did that guy accuse Shuichi because she's a demon…? No, can't be. If Yusuke and Kuwabara never sensed it, why would an ordinary human be able to…?_

Hiei shook his head and scratched his rear as if showing what he thought of that. _Whoever this Youko Kurama is, he better not be another one who kills people. Youko Kurama… Like the legendary bandit… Hm…_

---

"Rinku! The circus is back in town!" Jin cheered, his ears pointing out. "I've always wanted to go to one! Can we go? Can we! Can we! Say yes! Say yes!"

"Circus? What's 'at?" Rinku asked cocking his head the same way he did whenever he didn't understand something. (It was once joked that he did it to roll his brain over. "If the knowledge isn't on this part, I'll just see if the other side knows the answer.") He put the bananas the man at the inn told him to get rid of down.

"They have shows and animals!"

"Okay, what makes you say it's in town?"

"I saw a gorilla! It has to be from the circus!"

"Gorilla?" Cocks head.

"It has orange hair and black eyes and he's got white skin and a cute little gorilla face!"

Disappointment. _He must mean the exorcist guy. He just noticed him just now?_ "Believe me, Mr. O'Riley, You don't wanna see him."

"Aw… No circus…? And what'd I tell you about calling me Mr. O'Riley! It makes me sound old… You don't call Hiei Mr. Jaganshi…"

"He doesn't deserve the title." Long silence.

"Quick, Rinku! Gimme a banana!"

"Wha… Why?"

"Just gimme one!"

"Don't tell me you're gonna feed that retard!"

"Com'on! Why not? I mean, it's good karma! The gorilla will come back in a time of need and save us!"

"Not that crap again." Rinku crossed his arms and frowned.

"It's not crap! It's just like if you rubbed Hiei's belly you'll get good luck!"

Gasp! "Really?"

"Yeah! Like the little Buddha thing Touya carries around! Only this time you have to endure a fight to the death to touch his belly depending on the mood he's in."

"Cool! I wanna try!"

"Cost you one banana."

Rinku threw one to Jin and ran away.

Jin flew to Kuwabara who was grumbling something under his breath. "Ho, there gorilla man! Wanna banana?" Jin held it out to the exorcist.

"What!" Kuwabara cried with insult. "I'm no gorilla! Go away! I was thinking about the full moon until you came along!"

"Aw… I guess I gotta eat it. No use wasting good food. Hate bananas." He started peeling it.

"You gonna eat that?"

"No. You can have it!" Smile. _It's just that I never knew gorillas could talk._

"Bananas are my favorite…" _I know a demon's gonna get us. I have to be on my toes if I wanna get to my goal. If only I could fit in my pa's shoes…_

Shishi and Suzaku, two fishermen who worked together, were watching the whole thing.

"That's low if he has to go to an exorcist of entertainment," Suzaku grumbled under his breath.

"Really low," Shishi added.

---

"Hey, Hiei!" Rinku waved his arms around as he ran to the older man who appeared to be pouting on the porch. "I hafta hurry 'cause the penguin and Ruka'll be ma if I'm late for dinner."

Hiei stared at him. "What's the rush?"

"Well, I'm gonna need you to stand up…"

"Aren't you a bit young to be pulling that crap?"

"Wha…?" He shook his head. "Come on! Just stand up!"

"Fine." He shot up.

Rinku reached up Hiei's shirt and started rubbing Hiei's stomach, earning himself a stare like he was a psychotic pervert. "You have nice abs."

Hiei smacked him. "Rinku, what the hell!"

"Ow… Jin told me that if someone rubbed your belly that person'll get good luck!" Rinku glanced at the horizon. "Crap! Sunset! I gotta go!"

Hiei sighed. _Only Jin would come up with crazy ass crap like that. Maybe I should kill him._

Shuichi burst through the door, half breaking the damn thing off the hinges. "It's sunset!"

"**Holy shit, kid**!" Hiei screamed. "What's your problem! The sunset ain't goin' nowhere."

"I wanted to watch it. So… I gotta go."

"Okay, what's wrong with going on the roof? You aren't _that_ heavy."

"I need to get herbs before sunset."

"You have enough already."

"Fine. I promised to meet a girl before sunset."

"Just to prove to me you're not gay. That's a good one."

"Would you get over that?" He ran away.

_Gotta get my gun._ Hiei walked into the house.

---

"Small town. I doubt there's anything I can take. This is boring. How was I able to stand this crap?" the fox demon growled. He had silver hair that shone in the moonlight and fell a little more than halfway down his back. He had large ears that poked through his hair and a matching fox tail. His slightly narrow golden eyes were cold and pierced anything they looked at. He was pale and had a little muscle… This was Youko Kurama.

"Don't you move, Youko Kurama!" a rough voice called to him.

_Is that… Is that the energy of a mouse…?_ Youko turned around to see Kuwabara. _Oh, that's just the exorcist. My bad._

"A strong demon like you… Heh heh heh… Must be my lucky day…"

_I never realized his voice was so annoying. Please shut up!_ He looked like someone was scratching a chalkboard.

"So the stories about you are true. (_Oh, goddamn you!_) Silver hair like moonshine. Cold golden eyes. Seven feet tall. (_What, did they tell you my shoe size, too?_) Exorcists have been after you for years. Now I've found you."

_Oh, god! He's trying to be poetic! Somebody just shoot me now!_

Yusuke ran to the exorcist. "Kuwabara! Shut up! And another thing, don't take him lightly!"

"The demon slayer's right. That is… If you don't wanna die," Youko said with a smirk.

"You're dead, fox!" Kuwabara charged a small bottle of holy water in his hand when he was caught in grass that wrapped around his legs. "What…? I... I've seen this before. Wait. You can't be…"

"Shui… Shuichi?" Yusuke gasped. He gathered some courage to take a step closer to the fox. "You can't be. He's human…"

A gunshot was heard. Youko glared at the one who fired the gun. _It's that fool Hiei .Better go._ And he walked away at his fast pace.

Yusuke was frozen with fear. _Hiei, you idiot! Don't point that at him! It's Shuichi! Can't you tell!_

"Urameshi! Get me outta this grass!" Kuwabara screamed. "It's tightening… It's... Getting… Hard to… Breathe…"

Yusuke was torn between trying to stop Hiei and saving Kuwabara's life. He watched Hiei ran after Youko as he pulled out a blade he carried in his pocket, an old habit. _Don't kill Kurama, Hiei. If you're not over John yet, you're never gonna get over Shuichi._

---

"Hey!" Hiei yelled as he fired at Youko. "Stop right there, Youko! …Or should I say Shuichi Minamino!"

Youko stopped and turned around. "So you've known all along. Well, congratulations. You finally did something intelligent."

"You… How the hell are you still here?"

"Simple. I'm standing."

"I mean, how are you still alive! You're supposed to be dead!"

"Am I really? Who told you that lie? I was shot by a hunter but I never died. So I tell you what happened. I was shot so I ran to Human World to find a body. Shuichi's mom was the perfect one. She was gonna have a baby and at the time, it still had no real soul yet. I basically merged with that soul. But as you can see, we didn't complete merge together. The soul was developing but not quite."

"Why didn't you go back?"

"Why didn't you if you always complain about humans?"

"You first."

"I was going to leave when I got my powers back but that didn't work. Shuichi's soul was okay with leaving until that day. We, or he, was six. Well, he was doing something stupid for school and knocked a jar over when he was getting something off a counter or something. Don't really remember. Well, we fell and just when we thought we were gonna die. His mom saved him. And we found out how attached we really were to her when she fell ill. Happy?"

"I did go back. It sucked. Everywhere I go. Always so many morons. That good?"

"Not at all."

"Get over it. Yours wasn't better. Why were you hanging around so close to Human World?"

"I was searching for treasure. I've heard there was the purest light here. I wanted to see it."

"Light…" Hiei sighed. "I found it. I was about to kill myself as I felt my breath cutting off, I saw light. Before I reached it, Koenma cut the rope. So your search for your light's over. It's not found in life, but in death…"

_Death…? No… But still…_ "I should've known. It would have already been taken if… What a damn disappointment." Youko shook his head. "Well, on that note…"

"Do me a favor though."

"What?" Youko was starting to feel irritated. _I hate this guy so much that I want to…_

"Kill me."

"What?"

"Kill me. I want to see the light again."

"You're a bigger retard than I thought. I thought you were a toy but…" He shrugged. "You're not any fun if you confuse yourself like that." With that being said, his silver hair turned back to the usual blood red. And the cold gold eyes changed back to the warm emerald eyes.

"…I guess you're right…" Hiei fainted.

"Death… I knew it couldn't be paid." _Mother…_ "Hiei, I told you not to get up, but do you listen…?"

---

Meanwhile…

Jin and Rinku stared at the now freed Kuwabara.

"You're a crappy gorilla, you that?" Jin asked.

"Shut up! I'm not a gorilla! What made you think I am!" Kuwabara screamed.

"You look like one."

"I'll exorcise you!"

"I'm going back to bed." Yusuke walked away. _Except now I'm dreaming about suicidal Hiei tacos._

**End chapter 14. And goodnight, blue baboon.**

Notes:

1. Yusuke's daydream- I couldn't figure out whether Kurama should be a boy or a girl in there so bear with me… Also, yes, they could get married. I'll tell you they just never chose to.  
2. Shuichi cut his finger in half but it'll be fine in the next chapter. Plothole!  
3. Anything that looks like "**this**" is spoken in another language. It's understood that everyone else must speak Spanish in here, but Hiei and Kurama speak in English. This is the crap that happens when you don't research this kind of stuff.  
4. Shuichi will be called Kurama now! Yay!

And that's it. I know the end must fell rushed, but it worked out. You probably think this is all action. But actually it's different. It goes from action to romance and a little back at action again and then it goes more into history. You'll figure out what I'm talking about later in the fanfic.

Reviews are appreciated! (Sorry I haven't replied yet. I'm going through an email change. By the way, if you wanna have a chat my AIM's mooglymoog92 at aol dot com. And YIM is mooglymoog92 at sbcglobal dot net. Add in correct symbols.)


	15. Ask DNA

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 15**

**May 26, 1849. Kyoto, Japan.**

"_That hole... No… Don't open it… Stop! Stop! They're coming! No! Get away from there! The demons are coming... They… They are going to kill us all! Why are you doing this!"_

"_To cleanse the world of man's sins… Die."_

"No!" The empress began to thrash around. Her lady-in-waiting ran in.

"Your highness!" she gasped. "Wake up!"

The woman sat up, gasping for breath. "…We're… We're going to die…"

Her daughter stumbled in. "Mother…?"

"What do you suggest we do?" the lady-in-waiting asked. These dreams the empress were having were quite troubling. The lady-in-waiting was willing to do anything to help her find peace.

"Find Koenma. He must stop this man. He is toying with a force that shouldn't be touched at all… Koenma will know what to do."

"I will send my cousin in the morning. Please try to find peace, your highness. Come, Sayaka." The lady-in-waiting took the princess by the hand and walked out. _She knows._

---

**June 17, 1849. Guerroro, Mexico.**

"Come on, Hiei! Wake up! It's _way_ passed sunset!" Kurama shook Hiei. "Hiei I-forgot-your-last-name, get up or I'll kick your butt when you wake up!"

Silence. "Wake up or I'll eat you." He bit Hiei's ear.

"Nn… Nuu, uh cnnt eat aneemoor…" Hiei rolled over. "Why is 'ere soo munny peanuts…?"

_What in God's name is he dreaming about…? Do I even wanna know…?_ "I swear if you don't wake up, I'll rape you!"

Still nothing. _Wait, didn't he say he was bi? So I guess he would enjoy that…_ "On second thought, I'd rather not…."

"Wake up darn you!" He kicked Hiei out of bed.

"No… Don't cut it off… Gib me fiv… More mi… nnns…" Hiei mumbled.

_Yeah… I don't wanna know…_ Kurama walked out, feeling mildly disturbed.

Hiei got up ten minutes later, waking himself up by crashing into a wall while he was yawning. Then he stumbled toward the next room until he tripped over a chair. He started cussing himself out over the fact that he tripped over a chair and the fact that he put the damned thing there in the first place. _What a way to start the morning. Er, afternoon._

"It's noon, Hiei. You should be up by now," Kurama said to him.

"Shut up. Gimme a break. I just crashed into a wall and tripped over those goddamn chairs," Hiei growled.

"Well, maybe it wouldn't be a problem if you arranged them differently."

"Hey, it's in a damn good arrangement!"

"Not if you trip over them in the morning."

"Shut it, fox." He crossed his arms. "…Hey. What day is it?"

"Thursday."

"I know that."

"June seventeenth."

"June… Oh, shit!" Hiei ran out. Long silence.

"'Okay, I have to go now, Kurama! Bye!'

"'Okay! I'll see you later, Hiei!' …I swear. Doesn't anybody say goodbye anymore?"

And Youko thought, _Shuichi, you're such a girl._

---

Hiei sat in his dark corner (underneath the porch) where he does… whatever he does when he goes to his dark corner. He just sat there in a fetal position, his eyes wide, face pale, and in a cold sweat. He started chewing on his fingernails until he realized he already bit them as far down as he could. He grabbed the next closest thing and started chewing on that, whatever it was. (It could've been a rat's tail for all he cared. He preferred to think about that later.)

"No… It can't be June seventeenth. No… Weird stuff always happens on my birthday… Like the time I accidentally called Ruka a guy even though I know damn well she's a woman. And the time I tripped over a rock and fell in the well. And when Karasu started hitting on me… And when I stabbed myself with that pen and needed a doctor to take it out of my knee… And when I crashed into a tree and all these unripe fruit fell on me. And when I saw the mutant corn… And…:" He felt something go by his legs. "NOOO! IT'S A GIANT SPIDER!"

The "giant spider" was actually Paco, who walked away. ("Fine. I'll find someone better to hang out with.")

And he kept running until he crashed into Suzaku who was walking with Shishi to go fishing. He screamed and pointed at Suzaku and ran away.

"I told you that shirt was hideous," Shishi said to Suzaku.

Hiei crashed into a wall. Again. He got up and walked away. _I bet this is Shuichi's fault today... Yeah… Weird stuff started happening when we met, too…Maybe I should go back to America… I'll just go to Chicago and…_

"Hey," a Chinese accented voice called Hiei.

Hiei was too absorbed in his thoughts to answer. _No, that idiot would follow me there…_ _Why won't he just leave me alone!_

"Hey."

_Or I could push him into the Pacific Ocean. There's an idea. Now, where is it anyway…?_

"Hey!" The speaker kicked the back of Hiei's head.

"What the hell, ass..." Hiei's eyes widened. "T… Touya?"

Touya nodded. He had light blue hair that was almost a white or gray. (Hiei was still trying to figure out how that worked out.) He also had a few mint green hairs that stuck out a little, but only so it barely missed touching his forehead. He had the narrow eyes the Chinese had only his were a light blue like his hair… (Someone once mistakened for being blind because of their lightness.) His pale face was emotionless but also catlike at the same time. He looked sixteen but he was really thirty-three.

"You look surprised to see me. I did say I was going to be in China for a year," Touya said. "I forgot to tell you what I did after I came back. Things got pretty tied up back where I was at."

"Yeah, but…" Hiei almost started stuttering.

"Why would I miss your birthday? It's more fun to see my friends become sagging old men…"

"Yeah, well, they say your birthdays stop being happy after twenty-three. Even though mine is always the opposite."

"It's all in your head."

"No it's not! The unripe fruit, Touya! The unripe fruit!"

The sound of a door being swung open was heard. An Irish accented voice was heard. "Good morning starshine! The earth says hello!" Jin.

Jin noticed Touya. "OHMYGOD, IT'S TOUYA! HE'S BACK!" He tackled him. "It's been years!"

"As of today it's been nine years and a half," Touya replied with a smile.

"And I became a wind master just like I said!" He flew around in circles.

"I guess you weren't kidding when you said that."

Jin stared at him. He scratched his head the way he did when he was trying to remember something. "I just remembered! It's Hiei's birthday today!" He turned to the older man. "Okay! I get to hit you twenty six times! One, two, three, fish, banana, button, green, blue applesauce, six, fifty-two, O' Riley, Jaganshi, Fong, I-forgot-Suzaku's-last-name-I-think-it-was-Rodriguez, Minamino, Urameshi, the gorilla's name, seventy, eleventy, eleventy-six, ten, uh… Twenty-six!"

"…Okay… I'll just pretend that didn't just happen," Hiei sighed. He turned to Touya again. "What've you been up to?"

"I'm kind of became an outlaw after sneaking to China sop many times. I figured I might as well hang around other outlaws. So I'm basically with this group of bandits now. They have no leader now after their first one was killed. I think his name was Yoshiki Kawashima or some junk like that."

Hiei's eyes widened. His blood froze. _Yoshiki Kawashima? I remember that bastard. He was the asshole who wanted me dead after killing that guy on accident. He was that same bastard who sent those guys after John and before that…_

Kuwabara's voce shattered Hiei's thoughts. "What're ya demons plotting? If you wanna destroy this town, you gotta go through me- Kazuma Kuwabara, the best exorcist in Houston!"

"You retard! Go mind your own damn business! And if you're the best exorcist in Houston, then I fear for the safety of your home town!" Hiei growled and walked away.

"Yeah! Well, I hope a whole bunch of unripe fruit falls on ya'll!" Kuwabara pointed at the small demon.

Hiei flipped him off and with that being done, a whole bunch of unripe fruit fell on Hiei just after Hiei walked under the tree. "GODDAMMIT! WHY THE HELL DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE GODAMN UNRIPE FRUIT! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!"

"I…" Kuwabara stared at his index finger, his face going pale and beads of sweat forming. "I… I must use this power for good!"

"And I thought I was the only one that got smashed by unripe fruit…" Jin laughed. He turned back to Touya. "So you'd come back for Hiei's birthday but not mine? You're mean!"

"Actually, Jin, I came for another reason," Touya replied. "I'm looking for some kid from California that goes by the name Shuichi Minamino."

---

"Hey, Juanito!" Kurama patted the dog on the head.

Juanito growled. ("It's Juan, dammit! Just because my dad's name was Juan… Then again, that Hiei guy named me that. The bastard.")

"You can just sit on the porch. I don't think Hiei would want you in the house. And I don't want you tripping over those chairs like he did this morning." Kurama walked in the house feeling the same way a mother felt when she gave her child some chores to do. (_Whatever_, Juanito thought.) _Man, I barely did any work and I feel like I got beat up… Of course Hiei can do it! He has all the muscles!_

He plopped face flat on the floor. _I thinking I'm dying… I… I'm dead._

There was a knock at the door. Ten seconds later, the door was kicked open. Kurama rolled onto his back to see who the visitor was. Touya.

"So I take it you're Shuichi Minamino?" Touya asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"The only one I know. But if you're a bounty hunter, I'm Henry Clay," Kurama sat up.

"I'll need you to come with me. And no, I'm not a bounty hunter. They're the ones after me."

"Why…? Coming with you, I mean." _So this must be Touya. I heard from Jin that's he's an Ice Master…_

"Just come." Touya half dragged the redhead to the river Suzaku found him in.

"Okay. I think I got your story down. You've been accused to be the murderer of Shinobu Sensui and you came here to avoid the death of your mother because you can't confess for a crime you didn't commit, am I right?"

"Yeah, pretty much. What importance does it have?"

"They'll come after you here. And they'll send some exorcists."

"Why?" He tried to act clueless. Of course they would. If Hiei could sense Youko's soul, then surely…

"If your proven guilty, won't you get the death penalty? It's the same punishment. Exorcists are required to have a good sixth sense. They can't pick some random punk off the street. I know they're pretty dedicated to their job so they'll probably exorcise you on the spot."

"And what should I do then?"

"Depends on your strength and how fast you can run. Even if you're in a human body, it doesn't mean you can't escape those exorcists, Youko Kurama."

"Well, you've got me. But I repeat, what should I do then?"

"No idea. But I can help you out of this mess a bit. You see, Shinobu Sensui isn't dead like everybody seems to think. He's alive and in Japan."

"Alive? I've been set up!"

"Apparently so. I would tell the demon slayer first, but your case is more important. I'll tell you why it concerns Urameshi. Human World and all how inhabit it are in danger."

"What's he doing?"

"It seems the bastard's creating a tunnel to Demon World. If he succeeds, all hell will break loose."

"But such an action would require several psychics…" _That means he has some people doing his dirty work…_

"Don't ask me about the process. I dunno. My question to you now is this: What's your next move?"

Kurama looked at his reflection in the river. "Depends. Do you know any ways to Japan from here?"

---

"Hey, Hiei!" Kurama walked into the kitchen to find Hiei dunking his head into a bucket of water. "What're you…?"

Hiei took his head out and gasped for air. "My head hurts… It was pelted… By unripe fruit…"

"Oh, you poor soul." Sarcasm.

"Shut up! You'd be hurting to if you were hit by unripe fruit like I was! It was like fruit bombardment!" Dunk. Long silence. Gasps for air. "Okay you're looking at me funny. Either you're gonna do something weird to me or say something weird."

"Oh yeah. That reminded me." Kurama kicked Hiei in the rear. "That was for this morning. And… To be quick, I was gonna say… You remember about Shinobu Sensui right?"

"Yeah." He sat in the bucket even though he knew walking around with wet pants would be uncomfortable later on.

"Touya told me that Sensui's alive. In Japan."

"Can't doubt him. He's never lied to anyone like that." Then he frowned. "Lemme guess, you want my permission to go. Go ahead. I'm not your old man or mom. …Or husband."

"I just needed to tell you. I figured that you'd wanna know anyway."

"Okay. Tell me. What're you gonna do when you find Sensui? Tell him to go back to California so you can get out of trouble?"

"I'll think of that when I get to Japan. What I'm worrying about is him opening up a tunnel to Demon World."

_Demon World… Mom... _"I guess that's a problem. It'll do me a favor by killing humans off."

"If you hate humans, why do you bother staying here?"

"I was born in Demon World but I came to Chicago a few days after my birth. Supposedly my mom was from a line of Ice Maidens who happened top be in Mexico when they were born. She went back. Came back here again. Went back. Had me and Yukina. I'm going through the same pattern. I was from there. Came here. Went back. Came back. I fit in better here than there."

"That doesn't really answer my question. But that's not important… So you'll stay and watch the pretty colors?"

"Yeah. If that's what you're gonna call it. I can't trust Jin with my crops again. He just doesn't seem like the planter type."

"I guess. I'll leave on Thursday." He walked out.

---

"I figured he wouldn't wanna come. Especially after I mentioned being in Yoshiki Kawashima's group," Touya said after Kurama explained how Hiei didn't want to go. (Meanwhile Yusuke and Kuwabara were having a conversation of their own. Kuwabara boasted, "I'm gonna get promoted so much that you can't laugh at me again!")

"Who?" Kurama asked. ("Whatever!" Yusuke retorted.)

"He was the leader of the bandits who raised him until he was five. It was that same guy who wanted him dead after he accidentally killed that guy in New York."

"I know! It wasn't his fault but they didn't care! The dirty rat bastards," Jin added. "Even his own dad turned on him! That JJ… John-guy was the only one who stood up for him but he couldn't really do anything until he quit."

Suzaku spat out some chewing tobacco. "Yeah. Yoshiki was pissed that JJ left. He was the best one outta alla 'em. But it never really became a big problem. Or I think so. JJ quit and adopted Hiei. So then Yoshiki wanted them dead…"

"So John went to America. He left Hiei alone with some of the guys in the group and well," Touya paused.

**End chapter 15**

Notes:

1. Kyoto Japan- Don't argue with me here. Tokyo wasn't the capital yet. The capital was still Kyoto. I forget when it was Tokyo.  
2. Hiei's birth date- I dunno his real birthday. I heard June 17 (which would make him a Gemini) and November 11 (which would make him a Scorpio) Don't ask. I just got it from some people.  
3. Juanito verses Juan- Juanito means little Juan. It's the Spanish for of (name) junior I think…  
3. Henry Clay- He was the Senator of South Carolina if I remember right. He came up with the Missouri Compromise that made Missouri a slave state and I think it was Kansas or Nebraska a free state. Don't quite remember right.

Random extra 1! On chapter fourteen…  
"You're…" Youko stopped mid-sentence and coughed up a hair. "Sorry. Hair ball."  
"Foxes cough up hair balls?" Hiei stared. Oo

Random Extra Two! All in Capital Letters…  
Yusuke had a day as an ice cream vendor. "Ice cream! …Just buy it!"

Random Extra Three! Later on… Don't tell it's a secret…  
Okay, you've been asking me stuff that kinda gives away what happens later. So in reply, I'll give you preview of later chapters. Someone banging their head on a wall. Yomi punishing himself by shaving but the realizing he has no facial hair… Kaitou gets a nose bleed. Kaitou's hair turning white. More lame jokes that I'm too lazy to put here. And lots and lots of ANGST! Have a nice day!

Next chapter I'll be putting in some speech in Japanese and Spanish. It was at my best abilities. If I got some wrong. Tell me so I can correct it. Don't bite my head off. Some history references might also be wrong. Help me out. Get me a source to look up. That'd be great.

Last thing. Please check out my other fanfic Battle of the Rising Sun if you want. I feel like it hasn't been getting enough review but I've written it weird. Anyway please drop me a review and stuff. Thanks. Bye bye. (Beep)


	16. I'll Be Alright Without You

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 16**

"So John went to America. He left Hiei alone with some of the guys in the group and well," Touya paused. He stumbled on the next words. "Okay. They harassed him a lot, from what these guys told me." He pointed a thumb to Jin and Suzaku. "So I guess there was this one guy with 'em that kinda found him… I guess… Appealing in the wrong sense. So… You know I guess one thing led to another… And went against his will… And he was fourteen…"

"Whoa! Back up! Are you saying they… Di…?" Yusuke was interrupted.

"Yes, I'm saying it! Whether they did it because they wanted to be bastards or just out of… Attraction or whatever you wanna call it, I don't wanna know! But anyway, the point is the name's pretty much cursed around our circle. And I think that's what went behind Yoshiki's death."

And there was a tense silence.

Suddenly a girl walked up to them. She had raven hair that she had tied back in a bun and bangs pushed behind her ears. She had large black eyes that looked almost empty, but no one ever did get a good look in her eyes to see the urgent gleam they had. She was Japanese, you could tell by her black kimono.

"Konichiwa!" she greeted with a bow. (Hello!)

More silence. Only this time Suzaku chose to break the silence. "…She's wearing all black… Like she's going to a funeral…"

"Good morning star shine! The earth says hello!" Jin greeted her, wiggling his ears the way he always did to make someone smile. (He never had a failure in doing this except with Hiei.)

She titled her head.

"Konichiwa…" Kurama bowed. _And I'm suddenly glad I know a little Japanese…_

"Oh! Ana-tachi ni chi gainai Shuichi-kun. Botan-chan ga hoshii watashi ni otomo suru… Anata subete. Watashi no namae Ayame." (Oh! You must be Shuichi-kun! Botan-chan wanted me to accompany… You all. My name is Ayame.)

"Kanojo kirau ano aidea no aru watashitachi saru hitori, huh?" (She hated the idea of us leaving alone, huh?)

"But it's dangerous."

"You know English? And here I was thinking I was gonna be an outsider on the whole thing!" Yusuke sighed with relief.

"Eh… My English is horrible. Embarrasses me to speak. I'm more fluent in Japanese," she added on a nervous laughter. (_She sounds perfectly fine to me!_ Everyone thought.) "I met you early so I can introduce myself."

"Oh. Right…"

"I think Koenma said he'd meet you on the ship… Thing. Eh… I think I should go…. See you Tuesday. Sayanara." She waved and walked away.

"But… But today _is_ Tuesday…" Kurama mumbled.

---

**Thursday**

"Hell yeah! How's that for a time lapse!" Yusuke cheered.

"Yeah, but didn't we skip a whole bunch of stuff?" Kurama asked.

"Never speak again."

"Well, you're enthusiastic about the trip," Koenma said, nodding at the demon slayer. "I like that attitude. But… I'll assure you it won't be a pleasant ride…"

"Ruin my fun, why don'cha?" Yusuke frowned. "It's the first time I get to beat someone's face in and next get in trouble for it. What am I supposed to say?"

"Ignoring that…"

"Why're you coming?" Kurama asked the priest.

"Well, to make sure Yusuke _does_ stay out of trouble. And I also have to make sure this one goes right…" He became tense. "And… Personal reasons concerning Shinobu. I assume it's the same on your side?"

He nodded. _Personal reasons? What's he mean? How does he know…? Augh!_

Hiei kicked the redhead and pulled the hat onto his head. "QUIT FORGETTING YOU STUPID HAT, DAMMIT!"

He rubbed his now-throbbing back." You know simply giving it to me would be acceptable, too… You know that hurts…?"

"That was for that time you kicked me so I had to sit in the goddamn bucket. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to walk with the back of your pants wet?"

"You were the one sitting in the bucket. You should've known."

"No one asked you!"

"Actually You…"

"Shove it and get on the damn boat, you…!"

And Kurama was already gone before Hiei could come up with a good word.

"Hiei, you're so violent…" Botan said just to make conversation like the chatterbox she was. She put her hands on her hips. "Is this how you treat the ladies, too?"

"Kurama _is_ a lady. And also… No one asked you!"

"Actually, I…"

"Y... You know what! D... Don't talk to me! I'm... I'm doing something important in my mind right now… So... So Leave me alone."

"You mean pouting?"

"No." Pout, pout.

She sighed and mumbled under her breath, "Don't forget…"

"What're you babbling about now?"

"…No one asked you, Hiei." Smug look.

"Screw you and your fake accent." Hiei walked away.

"For the hundredth time! It's _not_ fake!"

Hiei tuned her out. _Man, it feels lonely already. This must be how wives feel when their husbands go. …Even though I will _never_ be the girl. And I know I could come up with a better comparison that that…_

---

"Man, whatta ride!" Yusuke yawned as he stretched.

"Furusato mata…" Ayame sighed with relief. (Home again.)

"Yeah, but isn't this kinda stuff illegal?" Kurama asked. Long silence.

"Trying to save the human race and breaking the law doing it. It's that a good combination?" Yusuke said sarcastically. More long silence.

Ayame quickly pointed out, "We must go to Kyoto. Friends are waiting. So it'd be best if we…"

"I'm seasick…" Kuwabara staggered as he groaned. "Hold up, lady. Where are we? And for that matter, who're your friends?"

"We're near Kyoto, about an hour away. My cousin is the empress' lady-in-waiting. I could also use healing to help your stomach."

"I'd rather not…"

"To answer, your question, Kurama, this is actually kind of illegal had you gone without me or Ayame. I know it may sound weird considering that no foreigners are allowed in Japan, but actually the emperor trusts me. I'm actually a friend of his and saved him from dying from a terrible illness. He'll only kill me if I try to convert his people. That goes the same for… Guests," Koenma explained. "As for Ayame, she was sent by the empress herself to get me. I told her to inform you of the situation and how we get here. So no, it's not illegal, people."

"Well, I can breathe a little easier now," Yusuke replied.

"Never cease to amaze me, Koenma," Kurama commented on the priest's saving the emperor. "But… How were you able to save him if foreigners aren't allowed…?"

"Never mind that!" He held up a hand.

"Damn it! Another plot hole!" Yusuke screamed into the sky.

"Don't have convulsions over it."

"Ahem!" a voice broke in.

The owner of the voice was a woman that looked to be about twenty. She had black hair that she had hang freely down her back. Her narrow black eyes had a demanding look to them. You could tell that she came from the palace from the way she was dressed: many kimonos of different colors so when you looked at her you saw a burst of color. Her eyebrows had been plucked the way ladies of the court did. She held s fan in her left hand that she beat lightly into her right hand like she was going to beat someone.

Ayame almost leapt out of her skin. "Katsumi!"

"**So you've finally come, Ayame,**" the woman, Katsumi, simply replied to her cousin in Japanese. She turned to Koenma. "**And you've finally come, too Koenma-san. And who are your friends?**"

"Aw, not again… Uh… I'm Yusuke Urameshi. And don't look at me like that. I know it's a Japanese name but I can't speak anything other than English and Spanish, but I'll bow to you anyway," Yusuke bowed after introducing himself.

"**I'm Shuichi Minamino. Pleased to make your acquaintance**," Kurama bowed to her.

"I'm Kazuma Kuwabara," Kuwabara waved, but then Yusuke shoved his head down to make him bow.

Katsumi nodded and bowed back. Kurama couldn't help but notice the look on her face that said, "And I care why…?" like they were a future menace or something. (_Maybe it's because we're commoners…_ he convinced himself.)

"Hey, shouldn't the princess be with you? From what I'm…" Koenma was interrupted.

If Katsumi's eyebrows hadn't been plucked, they would have risen and gone into spasms. "**You mean that _child_ run away again!**"

"**Oh! Katsumi-sempai!**" A girl greeted the lady-in-waiting, waving her arms around. "**Koenma-san, too? And more people! So many! Eh…**" She turned to the three unknown people. "**I'm Eri. Nice to meet you…**" and she added a nervous laugh.

Eri looked to be about eighteen or nineteen. She had short mud brown hair that she kept cut to her chin (How she kept it that way was unknown to Katsumi.) to keep from getting in her eyes. Her eyes were also mud brown with a humble look to them, which you noticed when she lifted her eyes which was once in a blue moon. She wasn't dressed as nicely as Katsumi because she was only a servant. That was probably what made her seem so likeable to everyone.

"…**Uh, Katsumi-sempai, I found Sayaka-sama on my way here… Please don't beat her! She's been really lonely since I've been working so much and can't be with her a lot and…**" Eri was interrupted.

"**Woman, I know how to care for the princess. Don't ask favors of me. Sayaka-sama, please come here!**" Katsumi's voice went strict.

And from the bushes nearby emerged a young girl that looked to be ten or eleven years old. She had blue hair that fell halfway down her back… Wait. Blue? She had large blue eyes that were filled with childish innocence. (At this point, Yusuke really began to wonder what her parents looked like.) The way she was dressed similar to the way Katsumi was dressed. So here she was, the princess.

"**Sayaka-sama! How many times have I told you not to run off! You know how these… _Commoners_ are! What if they kidnapped you and put a ransom on you? You were lucky that Eri found you! If you came top me alone, you would have gotten a dire punishment! I don't care that your parents are the rulers of Japan!**" She beat her fan against her hand hard to emphasize her point.

"…Man, I don't understand her and I already think she's a bitch," Yusuke whispered to Kuwabara.

"I understand everything you're saying, Yusuke Urameshi! I was taught English by Koenma!" Katsumi growled.

"Eek…"

_I think this might become a loooong trip._ Kurama thought.

Little did anyone know there was an observer in the bushes. Koenma's presence slightly alarmed him since he remembered who he was. But he knew now he could eradicate the priest. What was more alarming was Yusuke's unusual aura. There was something demonic about it. Now the man was intrigued. _Yusuke Urameshi, you'll never know what got you._

---

**Guerroro, Mexico**

Knock, knock, knock!

"Go away! There's no one home!" Hiei yelled at the door.

Then there was the sound of someone kicking the door open. "Is there anyone here?"

Hiei turned away from the stove and saw three bounty hunters standing in the kitchen. "Que?" _Oh, these dumb ass people._

They stared at each other. Hiei finally broke the silence.

"Oh! Hola! Buenos tardes! Comos estas? Me llamo Hiei y a veces Peanut! Si, Peanut!" He added a forced smile. "Mi casa es su casa!"

"What'd he just say to us?" the red haired bounty hunter asked.

"Que? Yo no habla espanol."

"I don't speak your language…"

"No! No! Yo no habla espanol! Yo habla Ingles! Ingles! Comprende! Yo habla Ingles!"

"…This is pissing me off…"

"Oh…Tonto hombre…!" He turned away. "Eh… Tan… De donde eres? Yo soy Chicago… Oh! Y como te llamas?" Hiei slammed a headless chicken on the table. "Adelante! Come! Come!"

"Wh… What's he saying to us?" the blonde bounty hunter asked the brunet one.

"No I think I can handle this one!" the brunet bounty hunter stood in front of Hiei. "Uh… Taco burrito tortillas…"

"Ah! Que tonto!" Hiei shook his fist at him.

"You made him mad," the blond one pointed out the obvious.

"Step aside!" a voice commanded. And in walked an exorcist. He had blonde hair that stuck straight up that looked like a flame. His blue eyes were like looking into a frozen lake. He was pale, almost a sickly white for his strangely muscular body. Hiei knew it was a demon by his pointed ears. Wait, a demon that's an exorcist.

"…Yo no habla Ingles," Hiei's voice went cold as he said this. The exorcist took out a crucifix and smacked him with it. "**Misuse of holy relics! Scandalous!**"

"Speak English. I know you can, manslayer."

That opened an old wound. Hiei didn't answer and pretended he didn't comprehend the exorcist's request.

"Speak, or be gone!" He flicked some droplets of holy water onto Hiei's face.

"**Holy hell!**" And Hiei fell on the floor the water burning him and he cursed himself for not having his cross with him at the moment. The next thing he knew, the exorcist lifted him by the collar of his shirt so they could look at each other in the eyes.

"Speak in English so your shame can be shared, dog."

"**I refuse. Goddamn you, Zeru and anyone who comes after you. What the hell do you invade my home for?**"

He frowned with dissatisfaction and slammed the small demon into the floor. He held up a Wanted poster. "This boy. Have you seen him anywhere in the area at anytime between March twenty and this date?"

"**Just about everyday. You know some smart ass decided to put it on the fence around my field so I see him about every…**"

"Not like that. In person. And your face says you do."

"**What you see is disappointment. I actually feel bad for the poor kid for being condemned by you for what might not be his own fault. Did you consider that? Or was the amount of money you're getting paid too much?**" He was kicked.

"Manslayer, what right do you have to speak of us in such a way? I know you can't be honest. Where is he."

"I dunno and I humbly refuse to answer. Go before I'm forced to tell the authorities that you're searching me without a warrant, you barnyard creatures!" He flared up with energy to intimidate them.

The bounty hunters ran out before they got hurt. Zeru frowned again and walked out.

_And those bastards better stay out._ Hiei thought bitterly as he tossed the headless chicken out the window for the cats to eat.

---

"Man, Kurama, how'd you learn Japanese?" Yusuke asked the fox with a yawn.

"My mother was taught by my father. I guess she wanted me to learn, too," Kurama replied with a smile.

"I see…"

"By the way, Katsumi… Let's get down to business. So I've been told the empress hasn't been in the best conditions. What's wrong?" Koenma asked the lady-in-waiting.

"She's been having troubling dreams. It's worrying us. The emperor thinks she may be predicting this but… I don't know what it is that's she's predicting," Katsumi said.

"**A hole in the sky. It's always a hole in the sky Sayaka-sama tells me. Then there's demons climbing out of it or falling out. And… And the ending's then same… The Human Realm and everyone in it dies… And… Supposedly it's because a man is toying with forces he shouldn't…**" Eri explained.

"Yes, yes. What the woman just said should suffice."

Kuwabara tapped Kurama on the shoulder to indicate her wanted the redhead to translate. Once Kurama was done retelling the problem everything was silent.

"You _do_ know what to do, right?" Katsumi asked Koenma.

"Yeah. I think the man needs to go first. Tell me though. When did this begin?"

"Sunday. A few months ago."

_That was about the same time I was…_ Kurama's thoughts froze.

Sayaka stared at the sky, feeling overwhelmed. _Please… Anything but this…_

**End chapter 16**

Notes:  
1. I was kind enough to translate the Japanese I put in because it's important and it would be a pain in the ass to go back and forth to here.  
2. Foreigners in Japan- As far as I remember, Japan isolated itself because there were people forcing the Japanese into Christianity. For Koenma, I basically pulled this junk off the top of my head. However, there were ports where I think they shipped stuff out and some stuff came in. I don't remember quite right.  
3. It's sad, I know. I know more about Japanese culture than I do Mexican. (Why? Because I am Mexican!) Anyway, yes women in the court did were many kimonos to look nice but it was-of course-hard to move. And they did pluck out their eyebrows and I'm pretty sure they just drew their eyebrows back in.  
4. Chan- An honorific. It's the equivalent of miss in English. I can't really translate.  
5. Why didn't Ayame call Katsumi Katsumi-chan? There is some point where you get to know a person enough to not use honorifics.  
6. Sempai- used for higher ups. Literally means you who came before me.  
7. Sama- means Lord, Lady, something like that. I think it's usually translated as Mr. or Mrs.  
8. Katsumi and Eri- You probably don't know them because they're in the manga. Number two to be more exact. I don't know the full story behind them, but whatever. I'll tell you when I remember.  
9. "Oh! Hola! Buenos tardes! Comos estas? Me llamo Hiei y a veces Peanut! Si, Peanut! Mi casa es su casa!"- Oh! Hello! Good afternoon! How are you? I call myself Hiei and sometimes peanut! Yes, Peanut! My house is your house!"  
10. "Que? Yo no habla espanol."- What? I don't speak Spanish.  
11. "No! No! Yo no habla espanol! Yo habla Ingles! Ingles! Comprende! Yo habla Ingles!"- No! No! I don't speak Spanish! I speak English! English! Understand! I speak English!  
12. Oh…Tonto hombre…! Eh… Tan… De donde eres? Yo soy de Chicago… Oh! Y como te llamas? Adelante! Come! Come!- Oh… Stupid man… Eh.. So.. Where are you from? I am from Chicago. Oh! And what are you called? Go on! Eat! Eat!  
13. Que tonto!- How stupid!  
14. Yo no habla Ingles- I don't speak English.

Please review! (is overwhelmed by notes)


	17. Movin Out

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 17**

"Okay, so from what I understand, the empress has been predicting this whole thing from the start, am I right?" Kurama asked Koenma that morning to start conversation. The four had been walking in town for a while, and surprisingly, it had been completely silent.

"Well, not exactly. It depends on how you put 'from the start'. If you mean it as when Sensui took action, then the answer would be no. But if you mean his planning it out then…" Koenma sighed and poked the pacifier he had in his mouth.

"Well, don't leave us hanging on that. They said a few months ago. What's that gotta do with anything important?" Yusuke asked, making it sound more like a sarcastic statement than question.

"Yusuke, if you haven't already figured it out, then I fear for anyone who comes after you. The planning started… One week before the accusation of Kurama for the murder of Shinobu Sensui on March 12."

Kurama's eyes widened with shock. He already knew it, but hearing it from Koenma just made it sound ten times worse. "He faked his death so he could go to Japan…" And he felt the color fade from his face. "If Sensui's here in Kyoto… Then… Who's that buried in his grave…?"

Something flew by his face, grazing his cheek.

"The hell was that!" Yusuke growled and looked around.

Kuwabara pointed to a building. "The roof! There's a guy up there! I think he did somethin' weird!"

Everyone looked up to see that someone was standing on the roof, his hands still in a position like he just flicked something at someone. He looked to be Korean and about seventeen years old. He had raven hair that almost grew into his eyes. His eyes were narrow and violet that had a look like they were always aiming at something.

He stared at them, a smirk crossing his face. He seemed to be examining all their features down to the last hair.

"You're gonna regret that one, buddy…" Yusuke growled and got ready to fire his Spirit Gun when that guy disappeared. "Well, damn! I had the perfect aim, too!"

He turned to Kurama. "You all right, man?"

"No, Urameshi! He only appears to have his cheek bleeding but his heart exploded and his arms and legs were blown off, his face disappeared, and he's blind, deaf, and struck dumb!" Kuwabara shot back sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

"I can't help but feel that that was planned…" Kurama mumbled.

"What do you mean? Are you sure it's not paranoia?" Koenma asked.

"Well… It just seemed like it was planned. If it were already happening, people would be more tense and cautious. But look around us. It was like a normal day until he came."

"True. But that still can't be positive. This still could be a random attack."

"The only way it could be planned if they saw the future and I don't think they have those kinds of psychics on their side," Yusuke added.

Kuwabara looked back at the roof. _Whoever this Sensui guy is, he's gotta be bad business. Man, this is getting weirder and weirder._

---

"I call a Constitution seven! Constitution seven!" Jin screamed at the bounty hunters and Zeru as he ran out of his house, waving his arms around like he was trying to fly or something.

"Jin! What the hell!" Hiei growled when Jin pounced on his, still screaming about the "Constitution seven". "It's not Constitution seven, it's amendment seven. And you're way off on that one. We're not talking civil suits here. We're talking searches and seizures."

"Wow, Hiei! You're smart!"

Hiei ignored the wind master. "What the hell are you idiots trying to do? If you're doing something stupid like gang raping him, them I'll have to kick your sorry asses."

"No, we're not doing anything insensible like that," Zeru spat at the smaller demon. "We asked him if he saw Shuichi Minamino and then he started yelling about how he wanted a Constitution seven. Just for the record, the Constitution is the law of the United States and not Mexico. How do you know them anyway?"

"One question at a time, asshole! I was adopted by John. He wanted to be a lawyer so he wanted me to learn stuff about law, too."

"Wow! JJ was a lawyer _and_ a thief! That's weird! What kind of lawyer is a thief?" Jin broke into the conversation. (And the blonde bounty hunter grumbled under his breath, "All of them.")

"Okay, Jin. He gave up on that dream after he turned eighteen. And you for sheep of a false accusation, he ain't here so get your heads outta your asses and go the hell away so we can live in peace again! For all you know, he could be in Britain right now. So go on and terrorize the British!" And Hiei flipped them off to emphasize his point.

The brunet bounty hunter turned to the blonde one. "That was a pretty sharp kid, man. He might be right."

"Fine. Let's go. This guy's scary as hell!"

Zeru followed them, leaving Hiei a cold glare.

"Man, Hiei. You kinda gave it away that you knew Kurama…" Jin said as he started to float upside-down.

"Well, screw them. They're not bright so they probably are taking my word seriously. I know that exorcist and he knows me pretty well too. You know we go back. He knows I'm lying but his job is to exorcise Kurama if he doesn't give in. He can't say that I'm lying to them or not. Thank the government or whoever sent them for letting idiots take this job." Hiei turned his back to him as he said this. "If only there was some way to prove him innocent so we won't have to keep dealing with crap like this."

"Well… When you quit angsting, I got something for you that would make you feel a little better," Touya replied. He held a note to Hiei's face.

Hiei stared in disbelief. (Mostly because he was still trying to figure out how Touya could pop out of nowhere like that...) He snatched the note and read it through a few times.

"Can't doubt it. So what say you?"

"Hm. It's decided I think I'm going to America."

Touya smacked his forehead. _Prepare for a looong argument, Touya._

---

"What're the odds? We come back and we go wandering around some more and we have to watch the princess. And someone tell me why it always has to be a freakin' princess! Why can't it ever be something cool like a knight or a samurai or a ninja?" Yusuke asked, more of a statement than a question.

"Frankly, Yusuke, I don't think a knight or a samurai or a ninja would look good as a damsel in distress," Kurama replied.

"Right. And then that guy'll come and start shooting at us and then she dies and we'll be screwed. IS THAT OUR FATE!"

"Stop! You're gonna jinx it!" Kuwabara yelled.

_That's what we need to look for…_ Kurama looked through the crowd in search of that guy from before. But somehow, it felt like his mind was being probed…

A man that was nearby laughed in amusement. "That's what got you all so scared. The tunnel to Demon World?"

_Did he just?_

"Yeah, I did!" The guy smirked at them. "Name's Murota. A mind reader."

Yusuke eyed Murota's head. "Was it mind reading that made you have a weird shaped head or were you just dropped when you were a kid?"

He ignored Yusuke. He stood up and faced the five. "Y'see, I've always wanted to be a boxer and get all this fame."

"Please tell me that doesn't require a weird shaped head."

"Y'know what, kid? Just shut up! I'm making a nice speech here! Anyways, so I'll score all these wins 'cause I'd read my opponent's moves before they make 'em."

"Y'mean you'll cheat? That ain't very admirable…" Kuwabara replied, shaking his head

"It's not cheating! It's an advantage! I think you should be praising me for my cleverness!" Murota shook his fist.

"Hold on!" The idea just came to Koenma… "You can read minds, right? So you can hear the thoughts of everyone around us, right?"

"Your point?"

"You didn't happen to hear anything else about Demon World, did you?"

"Not... Wait…It sounds like... Someone's gonna shoot someone… That girl? Someone gonna get the girl…?" He turned to Sayaka, who cocked her head questioningly.

The other four looked all over the roofs. But then something whacked Murota on the side of the head, knocking him out.

"That guy again? Where the hell…?" Yusuke shook it off. "The hell was that just now?"

"A rock. That guy was here, but he left before we could catch him. Damn." Koenma clutched the rock.

"Whoa, man! This is all going way too fast for me! What's going on?" Kuwabara asked. "And how the heck do we know that guy has a real power! He could just be saying that to sound cool."

"He's not lying." He threw the rock on the ground. "Damn… I knew it when we came here a few minutes ago. You all have a sixth sense so you sensed it, too. It was this feeling that we were walking into something. You know that weird chill? And after this performance, there's no doubt he can't be lying. It's a sign."

"A sign…? You mean…?" Kurama stopped when Koenma nodded.

Koenma sighed. "Well, boys, keep an eye on Sayaka because this is gonna be a long speech. Okay…" Another long sigh. "A tunnel to Demon World takes a toll on the Human World before it is fully opened. The reason why this kind of thing isn't happening now is because the tunnel doesn't have enough power to let stronger demons in. Those demons may try to come in but their energy would be too much for the tunnel to handle so an explosion may result, harming both the Human and Demon worlds. To prevent that from happening, I put up a barrier to block those demons from coming near the tunnel. But what's going on here would pretty much let the demons that come pass through my barrier in but the thousands and that's twice as bad as the explosion.

"There are four signs that the tunnel to Demon World is being screwed around with according to my father's research on Demon World. Stage one: A strange aura spreads around the area the tunnel is located and if it gets bad enough, this could spread around the world. This isn't as serious here because Japan is isolated, but if it were Europe or somewhere crowded like that then we'd have more tension. For now it's only around the island. Stage Two. Humans gain supernatural powers. This guy here is a good example of that one. I'm pretty sure by now that there's a lot of people in the area that found out about this one. Stage three. Low level demons spread around. So you're probably wondering why this one's in here if there's demons coming in here everyday. Well, it's a sure sign the tunnel's just about opened. There's more in Human World at that point. Now the last one is stage four. Demons that pass through my barrier are free to come. Basically all hell has broken loose. Those demons would take Japan all out in a few months' or a year's time. Not a nice place to be.

"Why we're making such a big deal about this one is because one tunnel affects the rest. You see, there are quite a few tunnels around the world. About one in each country. Hell, Hiei probably knows all the tunnels in the US. He came through one in Chicago and pretty much went through all the ones there are. He knows 'em up and down. But let's not get into that." He sighed again. "Our job is to stop it before stage four, but I'd really prefer it before stage three. It may be pushing it there… From now on, I want you guys to remember the goal. We are to protect the innocent from the hell the demons would bring to them. Once we're through with this mission, we're done with stuff this serious stuff. But even while we're facing Sensui, I want you to remember that if we screw up too bad we screw the whole world. You with me?"

There was a long silence as if the three took the words in.

"I'm an exorcist. This is my job, man. You expect any less?" Kuwabara finally replied to break the silence.

"Isn't that why we came from the start, man?" Yusuke added.

"Ready to take it all," Kurama said.

"Thanks… We all owe you one…" Koenma turned his back to them.

"**Hey, I think there's something wrong with this man!**" Sayaka waved her arms around as she watched Murota stir.

He mumbled as he regained consciousness. "What…? Seven…? Doctor, Sniper, Seaman, Gourmet, Game Master, gatekeeper, Dark Angel…?"

Yusuke gasped. "What was all that!"

---

"Jin wants to come," Jin said, only to be ignored. Touya and Hiei were too busy arguing to listen.

"You're planning on going alone?" Touya said almost sarcastically. ("Jin wants to go.") "You already have a bad reputation over there as it is and you go alone at the risk of getting your ass kicked." ("Jin wants to go.")

"Oh get over yourself. I'm not a goddamn kid anymore. I went alone when I was eighteen. Nothing happened. I got into one fight but it was the idiot who got his ass kicked. If someone asks who I am then I'll say Hiro or something," Hiei growled back, crossing his arms with a frown. ("Jin wants to go.")

"You're anti-social." ("Jin wants to go.")

"So? What about you?" ("Jin wants to go.")

"I'm a ninja. What do you expect?" ("Jin wants to go.")

"Uh… ("Jin wants to go.") Shut up, Jin! I know you wanna go but I ain't taking you!"

"But… Jin wants to go…" Jin whimpered, his eyes tearing. Long silence. "JINWANTSTOGOJINWANTSTOGOJINWANTSTOGOJINWANTSTOJINWANTSTOGO!" He started banging his fists on Hiei's head. ("Hey, it sounds hollow in there…" Touya smirked at his comment.)

"QUIT IT YOU LEPRECHAUN MONKEY!" Hiei screamed and tried to smack the wind master who flew away.

"BUT... JIN… WANTS… TO… GO!" He flew into the door only to get stuck. "ACK! HELP ME! I GOT STUCK TO THE DOOR! I KNEW I WAS GONNA GET STUCK AT HOME ONE DAY BUT NOT LIKE THIS! AND I'LL GET MARRIED AND EVERYONE WOULD SAY THERE GOES THE BOY WHO GOT STUCK TO THE DOOR AND… AND… GETMEOFFGETMEOFFGETMEOFF! I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!"

"I always told you you should cut that thing off but did you listen? Or maybe I could get it over with and slice it off now…" Hiei pulled out his sword and grinned evilly at it.

"NOOO! IT'S A SYMBOL OF MY MANHOOD!" Jin waved his arms around. "If you chop my horn off, I'll become a… A… A… A _woman_!"

"Hiei, you're not really going to chop his horn off, are you? If you do, he won't be able to live it down or let you forget it… Besides that, I don't think Jin would look that good in a dress," Touya whispered to the smaller demon, his eye going into spasms.

"You have no sense of humor."

"Neither do you."

"Whatever. This happens all the time, remember? I dunno how you can forget. Anyway think about that while I get him out." He turned to the wind master. "Stay still. This would only hurt for a second…" Hiei kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air out of the wind master. "The deed is done!"

"Jin's free!" he cheered once he got his air back. "So… Can he go?"

"You know what? Fine! Just shut up! Touya, you'll come too since you're here bitching about how I can't go alone." Hiei sighed. "Okay we'll go to San Francisco…"

"We'll show the accusers Kurama's innocent! You're smart, Hiei!"

"Jin, use that lump in your head we call a brain. We can't go to the accusers 'cause we don't know who the asshole is. We could find Kurama's mom, give her the evidence and then she'll show them that note and then he's innocent. Kurama can go home. Problem solved. He'll live happily ever after. Then end or some shit like that."

"Why you wanna get rid of your boyfriend? Are you cheating on him?" Gasp! "Don't tell me you're not a virgin anymore!"

"You know I'm not."

"Oh yeah…" Jin jumped into the air with a loud giggle. "To America! Let's go, Touya! Let's go!" And he dragged the ninja by the arm and ran away.

_Oh boy…_ Hiei thought sarcastically.

**End chapter 17**

Notes:  
1. "…his arms and legs were blown off, his face disappeared, and he's blind, deaf, and struck dumb!" Kuwabara shot back sarcastically. - Reference to Johnny Got His Gun. The main character from what I've heard has his arms and legs blown off; he goes blind, deaf and is struck dumb. And he somehow lost his eyes mouth, nose, etc… I haven't read it but my sister has so I'll read it in my junior year. I'll tell you it's an anti-war novel, but we'll not get into that.  
2. Boxing- Not sure if it existed in this time period, but I'm sure it is.

The part with Murota felt mildly rushed but it's because I did hyper editing on these chapters because these originally turned out weird. Yeah. I think I'll stop in the later chapters…

You know. I ran into some fanfic that was really great and everything but there was a part with Kuwabara and Mukuro and… (Okay, don't make me explain how that happened. We'll be cool if you don't.) I was reading this part and my stomach turned… It never happened to me before so I sat there and I was freaking out over my stomach turning over that. Honestly I don't mind pairings like that it's just… What're there kids gonna look like? Ignoring this….

And one last note, I hope one of you guys answers me. Okay it has nothing to do with this fanfic. You might be disappointed but, there's really nothing I have to ask from you that has to do with this fanfic except corrections on my Spanish and some places I can go to look for references. (I mean a website, people! Don't be smart and say the library.) I don't do the voting thing here but we'll not go into that. Okay, well I've been reading a whole bunch of fanfics and I came across some confusing stuff. Not Mukuro's hair color. That's resolved. I hear over here that Mukuro has no parents. All right. Now here comes the hard part. People B say she had parents and… Well, let's just say weird stuff went on between her and her father. Tell me, WHICH ONE IS IT! I must know… Well, on that note… (Answer me…)

Review please!


	18. Disease

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 18**

"Okay, repeat all that again…" Yusuke said to Murota.

"I heard 'Seven graves will be a good start.' Then his thoughts went to seven names- Doctor, Sniper, Seaman, Gourmet, Game Master, gatekeeper, Dark Angel," Murota explained. "I dunno what it means… I only heard about the tunnel to Demon World from you guys so I have nothing to do with this, honest! I don't even know what a Demon World is or what the hell a tunnel's doing getting people there!"

"Let's see that as a good thing," Koenma sighed. He crossed his arms and frowned at him in deep thought.

"Okay. You know where it came from? Who?" Yusuke asked.

"I dunno. I couldn't tell… But the guy sounded pissed as hell. What's going on?" Murota jumped to his feet, his hands balled into fists. "Is this some kinda joke or something?"

"Don't make me whack you. How the hell could it be a joke?"

Kuwabara shoved his hands in his pockets as he whispered thoughtfully. "Doctor, Sniper, Seaman, Gourmet, Game Master, Gatekeeper, Dark Angel…"

"So they gotta be nicknames. I'd be afraid of the person who named their kid Seaman. That kinda thing must be like child abuse or something!" Yusuke said.

"It's all piecing together. It takes more that just one psychic to open that tunnel so the seven must be the seven psychics. That one from before had to be Sniper. Now if that's his ability, then just imagine how the other six must be…" Kurama paused for a moment as if giving them time to think about it. "And Sensui. I think he might be one of the seven, too… I've dealt with him before. Supernatural powers, a sixth sense, and demon studies don't mix…" _But why this? And why does Koenma always seem to cringe whenever we mention him?_

"I'm serious. What's going on?" Murota growled. "Am I gonna hafta beat it outta you guys?"

Sayaka cocked her head at everyone, not understanding the situation. Now she began to wish she was taught English. Then she felt something crawling on her hand. _What is that? I've never seen a bug like this before it's… What's it doing…?_ "**Now I'm… Feeling a little sick…**" She felt face first onto the ground.

"Huh? Sayaka? What happened?" Koenma shook her, but she was out cold. He looked around to find someone or something that would make her faint. "Crap… We gotta take her to Ayame while the two girls are out. Let's go."

Yusuke turned to Murota, who was still resisting the urge to beat the truth out of everyone. "Hey, man. Tell you what, we keep in touch. If you hear anything weird, come look for us. Hell you can keep track of me. Except at night. Don't listen to my thoughts at night 'cause that's my pri-"

"Yusuke!" Kurama called him as he swatted a bug that flew in his face.

"What? I'm trying to…" He was dragged away before he could finish.

On a rooftop, hidden to passers-by, were two figures watching the whole thing.

"That's the one there. You take him out," the first figure said. The other nodded. When Murota looked in their direction, the two disappeared.

---

"Fifty-four bottles of beer on the wall, fifty-four bottles of beer! Take on down, pass it around, fifty-three bottles of beer!" Jin sang as he floated in circles around Touya and Hiei. Now Hiei was beginning to regret taking Jin with him.

"So tell me, Jin. How did those bottles get on the wall in the first place?" Hiei growled.

Long silence. Jin stopped in the middle of his rotation and looked at the sky in thought. He waved his arms around as he answered Hiei, "…Maybe they're like Touya. Touya can stick to walls, too. Ninjas don't need gravity! They're rebels!"

"Damn straight they are," Touya replied with a look of pride on his face.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Whatever. It should take us probably two weeks to get to San Francisco from here."

"Two weeks! Kurama could be back from Japan by then! The exorcists might be back from Europe by then!" He waved his arms even faster.

"Jin's right, Hiei. (Jin cheered. "Yay! I finally said something smart!") You should wait if you even decide to go. I don't think it'd be pretty to see how that guy reacts to finding you gone after what you said to him. Though I'm pretty sure he's not _that_ clingy," Touya added to Jin's argument.

"That's true… Wait a sec…. You dumb ass! You said you were going! Make up your goddamn mind!"

"I never said I was going. You told me to. I never even mentioned anything about going anywhere. I only said it was evidence of Kurama's innocence and that alone."

"Well, screw you then! So we're just gonna sit on our asses all day and over in Japan we don't know what the hell is going on!" Silence.

"You know, no one made you stay. If you wanted to go, you could've just gone. If it's Kurama you're worried about, we could find a way to get to Japan. I mean, it's all about finding Sensui and the psychics. You could help 'em. You could search through Japan in a few minutes. I knew your speed would come in handy one day."

"Who said anything about getting worried? I know I'm bi and all, but god!"

_Hiei bi? Yeah, he can just keep telling himself that…_ "I fail to see how your sexual orientation has to do with anything."

"Hey, I'm making a point here! I'm not gonna go and be clingy on him! That's even worse than him on me! It's not worry that makes me like I am. We're sitting here doin' nothing and I dunno about you guys, but I'm just so goddamn bored! I thought it'd be nice without him being such a goddamn girl…"

"And that has to do with you being bi how…?"

"I know the answer!" Jin waved his hand in the air. "Butt sex!"

Touya choked on air. "Jin! What the hell! First of all what's that have to do with anything?"

"Well…"

"You know what? Don't answer me… You know what...? Just... Just forget the whole thing. Can't believe you. And you're supposed to be the innocent one…"

"But I like that word… Bu-"

"Jin, don't say that word again or I'll smack you!" Hiei growled.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It… It's just gross!"

"…Butt…"

Hiei whacked him with his sword. The two had five minutes to forget the whole thing before Jin was on his feet again, also willing to forget the whole thing.

"You don't need to get jittery! I can fly you there in a jiffy!" Jin waved his arms around. "You only weight two pounds anyway…"

"And Touya? Are you gonna leave him here?" Hiei was still irritated about what happened not long ago. ("Don't drag me into your crap," Touya growled.)

"He can come, too! Ninjas are supposed to be light!"

"And how do you think you'll take us without someone getting scared and shooting us?"

"…Aw, shucks! You're no fun, Hi-ei!"

"Damn right, I ain't."

"Both of you!" Touya held his arms up in the air. "Okay, before we find out more of Jin's colorful vocabulary, I just want you guys to know that I just wanted Kurama to be proven innocent. Okay? We all get it. Nothing about going to America. We're cool. You have his innocence in your pocket now. Wait for him to come back then give it to him."

"Yeah…" Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Okay. But there's something wrong with this picture isn't there. You don't wanna be the one to tell him he's innocent, do you? You've gotten attached to him, haven't you? He… He has too, hasn't he? He loves you, doesn't he?"

"If he does, it's one-sided. He's a fifteen year old _boy_. Got that? Boy. I just turned twenty-six. Won't work at all. We just met. You gotta let these things work slowly."

"You idiot…"

---

"This is strange, especially for Sayaka-sama…" Ayame said as she watched Koenma laid the princess to rest.

"You mean she's never been sick before!" Yusuke cried with what sounded like outrage. "Goddamn! Here I am getting sick with a cold at least once a year!"

"Well, I'd have to believe so if she's in the palace all the time…"

"**It's… So… Cold…**" the princess was heard mumbling under her breath.

"Okay… But last time I checked colds don't give people green skin," Kuwabara said.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Kurama asked.

"Huh?"

"I think it's Doctor."

"How? You see anyone run up to her or anything?"

"No. Think about it, Kuwabara. What do doctors diagnose and cure?"

"Cure? Sicknesses."

"What's wrong with Sayaka?"

"She got sick."

"Put them together and…"

"Doctor. I get it now… But still. How's that supposed to help this Sensui guy? I mean, we could fight with a cold, too. It would make us feel like crap, but we can do with it."

"That's what makes it scary. What if we have a certain amount of time before she dies? What if that's how it helps Sensui?"

"That's cool, fox-boy, but what're you getting at? I get the whole thing about it killing us but how'd he infect Sayaka?" Yusuke asked. "Nothing touched her."

"When we left Murota, I saw a weird bug. I know this is a foreign country but I'm pretty sure things won't look that weird he-" Kurama fainted.

"What the…?"

Kuwabara stood over the redhead. "Huh? There's a little bug thing injecting something into him! Now he's getting away!"

Koenma snatched the object out of the air. "Here's our culprit."

"Well, damn! A bug! And what're we gonna do about that now? We can't go around Kyoto snatching those things! For all we know, there's probably already people dying." Yusuke growled. "Why is everything so… Arrrg…"

"AIEE!" Someone screamed outside the door.

"Perfect timing, too! Goddamn Sniper…" Yusuke ran out, getting ready to fire his Spirit Gun before he got out. _And this time I won't be too late…_

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara ran out after him. _Why you gotta be so damn hardheaded today?_

Sniper stared at the demon slayer and looked around as if he were looking for someone. He smiled and disappeared just after Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun.

"Damn him!" Just before Yusuke could take off running, a hand was on his shoulder.

"I've heard you've had some troubles…" a calm German-accented voice said.

Yusuke turned around to see the owner of the voice. He was a twenty-seven year old man with mud brown hair that he had combed to the side. He had eyes the same color as his hair that had the look of complexity in them. He was also about two feet taller than Yusuke. At first glance, you would say he looked calm but once you look at him a little longer, you would say he looked mischievous.

"I'm Doctor Kamiya. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I can cure this disease I've heard you speak of." He bowed.

Kuwabara stood between the two, noticing that Sniper had left at the same time Dr. Kamiya had come. _Either this guy was getting in Sniper's way or they're together…_ "I dunno… How'd you hear about her disease?"

"Ah, right. I was walking down the street when I saw a little girl collapse. I continued on and heard you screaming about her being sick. So I decided out of the goodness of my heart to help you all." He added on a smile. "And because it's out of the kindness of my heart, I'll treat her with no cost."

"I'm still not sure…"

"Well…" He walked into Ayame's house.

"Whatta bastard. He just invites himself in," Yusuke grumbled.

---

"**WHAT! SAYAKA GOT SICK! AND TELL ME HOW THIS MESS HAPPENED!**" Katsumi howled when she came to the house.

"**I don't know, Katsumi-san! I'm sorry! Forgive me! I'm sorry!**" Eri bowed at her feet almost breaking into tears.

"Don't take it out on her," Kuwabara growled. "Give her a break. She couldn't control it. It's actually more our fault for not noticing her getting infected in the first place." _Wait… Am I listening to myself? _"But it ain't no normal disease, I tell you what."

Suddenly the door to the room next door was opened. "Pardon the interruption. I heard yelling and I thought there was someone else coming in with an odd disease. It appears I was far from the truth. I do ask you to keep the noise down. It's hard to concentrate when there's so much noise going on."

"**You mean she might… Die!**" Katsumi practically started having a seizure at that.

"Possibly, but I assure you there is a low chance of that happening. Just enjoy a cup of tea and I'll be done soon."

"Hold on," Koenma grabbed Kamiya's shoulder. "There's something on your sleeve. Is that blood?"

He looked at his sleeve with shock, a look of "Oh shit, I've on caught" in his eyes. He laughed it off. "Ah, that. It seems I've gotten some medication on my sleeve. It's hard to get off. I hate it when that happens."

"How about I give you a bit of help in there, then? I could afford to get something on my clothes. People never seem too care how I look anyway."

"Hey, I'll pitch in, too. So now you got two people to help. Koenma could keep on eye on that and I could help with the supplies and all that," Yusuke added. "Doctors need their nurses, too."

"No!" Kamiya's voice went stern. "I mean… I'm fine. Thank you for the offer, though. There's absolutely nothing to worry about. There was a girl supervising the whole thing."

"I see. So tell me, where're your supplies?"

"In my pocket. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. You look pretty empty handed to me."

Koenma lunged for the door and swung it open to reveal Ayame laying on the floor in a bloody mess. "Oh shit! Ayame!"

"**Eek! Where's Shuichi and Sayaka-sama! Are they dead!**" Eri whimpered. Katsumi howled and fainted.

"They vanished?" Kamiya turned around. "Well, that's strange. I don't see any reason why they would do such a thing…"

"Give up the act, Kamiya! Or should I say Doctor?" Yusuke growled at him about to fire the Spirit Gun. "Let's make it simple. You give up and tell us what's going on here with the tunnel to Demon World and I'll let you go free just as long as you don't continue your crap. Or we could do it the hard way and I blow your brains out. Tell me, then. What's your power and who's your leader? Is it Gatekeeper? Game Master? Sniper? Does he happen to be anyone by the name Shinobu Sensui?"

"You have me figured out. Brilliant yet so naive. My power? Haven't you already guessed? I can make diseases and infect them with my friends floating around. I can also save people who would die during a surgery. I can feel no pain. Heh heh heh… You know humanity is a disease? We are ruled by greed. We always take and never give back. We take until there's nothing left. We are going to make the world repay their deeds! It's the worldwide reformation! Be happy, Urameshi! As we speak, some of us are already cleansing the world with new powers!" Kamiya laughed manically.

"That's fine and lovely. But I ain't letting you kill people. Not all of us are bad, y'know…" Kuwabara replied as he got his Spirit Sword ready for a battle.

"They always say that." He held up his right hand. "There's also a scalpel in a travel safe pack. I do have my supplies, Urameshi… In my hand!" He turned around to stop Koenma who was coming at him with a knife, stabbing him through the stomach.

"You're gonna regret doing that in front of me!" Kuwabara charged at him but Kamiya stopped him with a stab in the shoulder.

Kamiya stepped back enough to summon more bug. "Go!"

Yusuke fired another Spirit Gun at all the bugs that came after him. He got some of the ones after Kuwabara with little success. Soon, everyone in the room was infected.

"A one on one showdown… I kill you. I'll kill you if any one of these guys dies." He clenched his fist.

"Stop trying to keep my reformation from happening…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box that had some small bottles in it. "How about this? We don't kill. These bottles are the cure. You can have them if you don't kill me."

Yusuke stared at it for a moment and reached for the bottles when Murota broke into the room.

"Don't do it! I heard his thoughts and followed him here! That's not the cure at all! It's just red whine! He was gonna give it to you and then kill you!"

"Why you…" Kamiya was about to go for him with his scalpel when something grabbed him by the ankles. He squealed with surprise and then Yusuke fired another Sprit Gun bullet that blew him out the open door.

"And that better've knocked him cold!" Yusuke grumbled.

"I think you did more'n that…" Murota gasped.

"…Wow. Crazy timing. I owe you one."

"No. I came here because I wanted to see if I can get what the hell was goin' on. But that didn't work. I'm off."

Yusuke frowned. "Bastard. I wonder what it…" Just before he finished his sentence, he saw Kurama and Sayaka lying in a pile on the floor reaching around to find where they were because blood was in their eyes.

"..Was that grabbed his ankles…?"

---

"It's moving fast, Shinobu. It feels like it has a life of its own."

"How long 'til we get to play with the demons, Itsuki?"

"Don't rush stuff, kid. You need to lay off the sugar."

"I could go for some sugar right about now."

"Game master is making me wonder, Mr. Sensui… How much longer "

"Two days. I feel two days is perfect."

"As of tomorrow, Shinobu. As of tomorrow."

**End chapter 18**

Okay, it felt kinda rushed, but it's one of those chapters. You'll understand….

Anyone who helped me with that Mukuro thing, thanks a bunch, you rock. Anyone who actually told me they weren't sure, you rule, too. Anyone who knew but didn't review, you're cool, too. Anyone who doesn't give a rip… Kudos to you, too. I guess. And I guess I better say this before we move on. I couldn't update on my regular schedule because the computer wouldn't upload the freaking chapter. Once again, nothing's certain on how I update for the time being.

Uh… Lemme mention something before I go. I know someone's gonna ask me about this later. (I'm predicting in the form of a flame, but my intuition sucks.) Why is everyone here Christian? Or as someone might put it "QUIT CONVERTING THEM TO YOUR RELIGON!" First of all, I have no religion so you can't bash me about _my_ religion. Secondly, it's because in Mexico that was (and still is, I'm pretty sure) the biggest religion. No not everyone's Christian. There are a few people that're Jewish… Whatever. I don't think anyone gives a rip either way. Religion never plays a big role in here anyway.

On that note review please!


	19. Smashing Blue

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 19**

**Chicago, Illinois January 13, 1839**

BANG! went the door of the deserted inn when he kicked it open. "-ing people! The hell are these..." He knocked a chair over, "idiots now?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. "Should blow their damn brains out."

A rat clawed onto the chair and stared at him. He suddenly felt an impulse to shoot it. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the door swung open with a creak making fifteen year old Hiei jump.

"Whew! It's freezing out there!" John sighed as he wrung his sandy hair dry. "Hm? Oh. Hey, son. You're here early."

"That," the wind blew harder and calmed after a moment. "Told me to get my ass back here. Told me to keep a look out or some crap like that." Hiei flopped onto the stairs.

"Don't take it too hard, kid. They're just being hard on you because to them you're just a tag-along kid. They don't really think you're anything special. You just gotta prove you ain't your father's 'mess up'."

"Yeah, but can you blame 'em for calling me that? He doesn't remember which one of these women is my mom. I swear he's slept with every damn woman in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if he's done men."

"Come on Hiei. Let's be realistic here. He has _some_ morals you know." John walked up the stairs. "Come on."

"But it's true," Hiei grumbled under his breath as he followed the thief.

John stopped at the door, his ocean eyes wide with fear. "What are you...?"

Hiei ran into the room and saw two guys with knives ready to attack. Hiei turned back to John and pointed his gun at him. "Die."

Just as John fell to the ground, Hiei turned back to the two men and killed them too. He stood over there bodies feeling pride well up in his heart. He turned round and saw that it wasn't John laying in a bloody mess on the floor... It was Kurama!

---

Hiei awoke in the middle of the night, finding he fell face flat on the floor. _The hell was that just now! John..._ "What's wrong with me?"

---

"I was really scared there..." Ayame mumbled.

"Hey, at least I knew healing, right? You should be fully healed by the end of the week," Kurama said to her. "Might scar though..."

"I'll live."

"You know, you guys... I was gonna go out and slay some demons in a bit. You wanna come?" Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke stared at him, eyes wide as if trying to figure out whether the exorcist was serious or just trying to break the silence. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who said you could! You can't kill any demons in the condition you're in!"

"Yeah, well, who said I couldn't? Besides it was my left shoulder that got stabbed. It ain't gonna do me any real harm."

"So you're planning on going alone? You really need someone to hang out with you in case one of the seven shows up. You act tough but get whipped easily."

"Oh, lay off! Japan has a lot of demons, too! If I wanna be a good exorcist like my pa then I won't miss a good chance like this to slip! I'm not gonna screw up my life like I've always done, especially not my first screw up! I... I killed ma that way."

Long silence. Kurama whispered something to Eri.

Eri finally spoke. "**I could come, Kuwabara! I know some spells too. I'm free today because Katsumi-senpai's with Sayaka-sama today!**"

"She's volunteering to come with you," Kurama said.

"Well... I was gonna go like right now so..." Kurama translated this to Eri.

"**Okay! Let's go then!**" She followed him out.

"Well, there goes my dynamic part of the day. I'll hang around..." Yusuke walked out of the room.

"...Okay, Kurama. You're looking at me funny. What're you plotting?" Koenma asked the red head playfully.

"I have a few questions for you," he answered.

"Uh-oh. Saw this one coming." Sigh. "All right. Let's get this over with. Just do me a favor and don't get all bitchy like Yusuke and Kuwabara. Lord knows I have too many doses of that."

"You knew what was going on before it happened. You gave it away when you mentioned when the empress was having those strange dreams. Exactly how do you know Sensui?"

"Start with the hard questions. We met before." He saw Kurama knew there was a lot more to it than that. "You know Yusuke? When we met, he got into an accident. Well, he got up and walked away without a scratch. That was when I gave him the honor of working with me as a demon slayer. I know what you're thinking, 'What the hell does that have to do with anything?' Well, I kinda met Sensui in the same way. We were pretty much friends for a few years but then he left to California. Never saw him again until I heard a little birdie tell me what was going on in Demon World."

He opened up a book he brought with him on the trip. "My father was really interested in Demon World. He went there once and he got all these notes in this book. Supposedly he started having visions during his trip and wrote them in the last half of this book..." He flipped to the middle of the book. "These so-called wise men call it the Enma Omens. Take a look. You'll be surprised."

"'On the Opening of Demon World'," Kurama blinked twice. "'There will be seven powers- each from seven men. Two from America. One from Germany. One from Russia. One from Austria. One from France. One from Korea. Powers of seven... A fallen angel without wings, the devil that embraces him, water that feeds on the blood of his master, one that beds reality, one of a unsatisfiable hunger, one of a gunman, and one of a healer who harms." _Sensui was American. I know that. Doctor was German. Sniper must be Korean. Doctor was the healer who harms. Sniper was the gunman..._

"His predictions came true... That was how I knew the stages of the tunnel to Demon World... What a man my father was..."

_So he did know... But he's still leaving out some details..._

"It's going to rain..." Koenma mumbled under his breath.

---

"Hey, man! I didn't know you were here!" someone cried to Kuwabara. His friends also waved to the exorcist.

Kuwabara turned to the two. Huh? Okubo? Kirishima? Hey!" He gave the two a playful punch in the ribs. "What're ya'll doing here?"

"I'm with Kirishima. I just wanted to travel a while," Okubo answered.

"Ma's visiting her cousin. Dull as hell! I gotta escape her droning voice!" Kirishima half yelled to the world. "And you? What're you doin' in Japan? We thought you were in Texas."

"Something came up."

"Hm... How bout that girl you got with ya'll? She's pretty hot."

"...! It's not what you guys think! I needed somebody to come with me because these guys wouldn't leave me alone about going alone! Try saying that ten times fast!"

"Say what ya want. Heh heh heh..."

"Lay off, Kirishima," Okubo smacked him on the back of the head.

"All right..." Kirishima turned to Eri. "**Howdy. I'm Kirishima**.** This here's Okubo. We was friends with Kuwabara when was in Texas.**"

Eri bowed and introduced herself. So then the two went off in a scatterbrained conversation.

"Should we consider it a good thing that we don't understand them?" Kuwabara asked.

"Very much," Okubo replied listening to them roaring with laughter.

"**Oh, look at that guy. He has really pretty hair and eyes. Blonde...**" Eri pointed out as someone walked on by.

"Oh. Wouldja look at that?" Kirishima looked at the person who passed them. "A blonde in Japan..."

"Well, I'll be the first and last you'll see..." He stopped and turned around to face them. (Kuwabara blinked. "A French accent?") "Aren't you glad it rained it rained today? Summer weather can be so unpredictable."

_His aura... It's creepy._ Kuwabara thought and he asked, "Who are you?"

"Seaman. Or that's what the psychics call me. My real name is Kyushi Mitarai."

"Seaman...?" Eri whimpered, sensing the aura, too.

_That's right!_ Kuwabara gasped when remembered. _Doctor, Sniper, Seaman , Gourmet, Game master, Gatekeeper_,_ Dark Angel_. "One of the seven, huh? Doesn't it bother you? What you're doing? Everybody's gonna die if you let the Tunnel to Demon World open."

"So?" He cocked his head as if wondering Kuwabara's point.

_He's not showing any remorse! _"What's wrong with you?"

"I want to cleanse the world of its sins. Humans are pure evil. They take but never give back. They have no guilt. Humans are the real monsters here!" He pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed his arm.

"You're psycho! You take an evil person to 'save' the other evil people!"

Suddenly something weird began to form as the water mixed with Mitarai's blood.

"You know. I really wouldn't want to fight with my hands and get them dirty. My blood mixed with mater makes these monsters. They'll be the judge of your fate!"

"**NO!**" Eri cast a spell on the monster but it didn't work. The monster swallowed her with its water body.

"Holy hell! What's going on here?" Kirishima cried just as the monster went for him.

"Let her go, punk!" Kuwabara threw a punch at the monster before it got Kirishima, but it sank into the ground. "Fine! If you won't give her back, I'll make your master do it!"

"Well, that's not right... If you're so noble, then why don't you care about the rest of your friends?" Mitarai grinned triumphantly.

"Wha...?' Kuwabara turned around to see the monster towering above him, Okubo and Kirishima also stuck inside it. "Let 'em go you sick bastard!" Kuwabara tried to smack Seaman but the monster flung him away.

_So you're gonna play dirty, huh?_ Kuwabara jumped to his feet. "Come on and fight me like a man! Just leave my friends out of this!"

"Get over yourself! You're just trying to be a hero! You think you don't need them! You think you're the only one who deserves to live! Like Thomas Hobbes said, you're evil and now that you have the choice which one of you lives, you'll choose yourself! Humans are naturally bad! Admit it! Who knows, maybe I might let you live if you do!" _I have him wrapped around my finger..._

"Sorry, I didn't support Hobbes. I'm more for Locke. This is where you're wrong, man. If it's just about you, then there's nothing to live for. You live for everyone you care for. I'm not... I'm not gonna let you rule how I'm gonna rule my life! Ma won't let me after she died for me!"

_You live for others..? The fool. I thought so too..._ "No... You're wrong! THAT'S NOT HOW IT WAS FOR ME! STOP SCREWING WITH ME!" The monster swallowed Kuwabara.

_...I started school in London a couple of years ago. Everybody there shunned me out. When they let in, it was only to beat me up._

"_Ha! Did you hear his accent! Man..."_

"_Whatta wuss."_

"_Why didn't he stay in Paris where he belongs?"_

"_He just isn't right in the head."_

_They thought it was funny. One huge, sick joke._

"_They hated you because you were different. They saw you would rise above them. They wanted superiority..." Only Mr. Sensui understood..._

"I just want it all to stop..." Mitarai mumbled. "AND NOW YOU'LL GO TO HELL WITH THE REST OF THOSE BASTARDS!"

_No, kid. You're wrong. You're going the wrong way. You're gonna let him talk you into this?_ Kuwabara thought. _I'm starting to feel... Drowning... No... I don't want to die. I don't want them to die. I don't want everybody to die... I DON'T WANT... _Kuwabara felt a new power surging through him.

"Try all you want to get out. It'll never work! You're in my Territory and you won't get out! Ha!" Mitarai began to laugh at him mockingly.

_No... You don't want to do this..._ _You don't..._ Kuwabara formed a Spirit Sword... No wait, it wasn't a Spirit Sword. It was too strong to be one and this one could cut through the Territory...

"What the...?" Mitarai was slashed from his left shoulder to his right hip. Then it hit him. He remembered Sensui saying something about... "No... You're the one we were looking for. The one to open up Demon World..."

Kuwabara struggled to get to his feet and wobbled to Mitarai. He grabbed the psychic by the collar and glared at him. Then the exorcist looked at him, _really _looked at him.

Mitarai looked like a puppy that got kicked to many times. His wavy blonde hair was dripping with rain. His ocean blue eyes always carried this look of fear. He must be more scared than anything else...

Mitarai mumbled something under his breath.

"What?"

"Kill me."

Kuwabara dropped him. "No. You don't wanna die. I should but it's against my code. You were just being stupid." He grabbed the other three. "Ho, boy. Here's a long ride."

"You're helping me?"

"Being a man is doing what's right."

_Yeah... Sure..._ Mitarai passed out.

---

"HOLY CRAP! DID YOU SENSE THAT JUST NOW?!" Yusuke screamed when he ran inside.

"Yeah..." Kurama replied coolly.

"What if it was Kuwabara? What if it was a demon attacking him? What if it was...?"

"Only one way to find out." The two ran out.

---

"Damn! Where is his dumb ass?" Yusuke growled.

"Huh? What's that? Is that... Kuwabara?" Kurama pointed at what looked like a huge lump of people.

"What the..." Yusuke ran to the mound. At the bottom of the pile, he saw Kuwabara. "The hell's wrong with you! Are you a bump on a log or something?"

"Hey Urameshi...? I'm hungry..." Kuwabara passed out.

"The hell?"

---

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" Jin chanted as Chu chugged down some beer. "Yay! My turn!" Jin chugged it down in one minute without a breath.

"You're not drunk yet?" Koto asked.

"Don't kid yourself. He's always drunk and never realizes it," Hiei grunted.

"Shouldn't you be in the fields?" Botan asked.

"It's one of those days." He raised an eyebrow when he saw Chu was sniffing him.

"You smell goooooood..." Chu took a big whiff of Hiei's shirt.

"And you smell like alcohol and tuna."

"Awesome..." Faint.

"Sure." Hiei turned back to Botan.

"What's wrong with you? Withdrawal?" Botan giggled at her question.

"...You know a quick way to Japan?"

**End chapter 19**

Notes:

1. "Like Thomas Hobbes said..."- Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher during the Enlightenment. He believed people were naturally bad and if left without a government, we would oppress each other. He wanted absolute monarchy. Yeah, that makes so much sense.  
2. "I'm more for Locke."- John Locke. Another Enlightenment philosopher. He believed people were naturally moral. He supported democracy and believed we had natural rights- life, liberty, and property.

Feels kinda rushed. Sorry. I thought I didn't have a lot of time so... I'll give you an extra to make up for it.

Extra... Crap. What number is this?  
Hiei walked up to Kurama. "Okay. I've taken the liberty to put an x on everyday I'll be grouchy and you need to stay away from me."  
Kurama looked at the calendar. "All of them have x's..."  
"It's one of those years."

Genres of the fic because I got bored: historical, romance, action, comedy, drama, angst, supernatural...

Uh... Review please!


	20. Blind Game Again

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 20**

Mitarai opened his eyes. _Am I dead…?_ He sat up and looked around. He was surprised to see strangers staring at him, remembering the night before, he asked, "Where…?"

"Sleeping beauty's awake now. He didn't need a kiss, lucky for us…" Yusuke said, half joking.

"W-where am I?"

"Oh. You're dead, man. You…"

"Yusuke…" Kurama interrupted him. "We found you when we were looking for Kuwabara. He told us you were one of the seven. Or the six to be more accurate…"

"So you want us gone…" Mitarai mumbled.

"To stop your plan, yes."

"Then kill me then! That only leaves five of us, then!"

"I'll be blunt with you, kid. For a while, we really considered that. I know you had to be talked into doing all this. We'll try to stop the tunnel to Demon World before stage three or four and keep you all from dying if we know for sure you won't pull this again," Koenma replied.

The blonde turned to him. "But why save me?"

"Weren't you listening to me? It's what Kuwabara wanted, too. He knew you weren't all evil either. Now my question to you is this: Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Why…? Don't you know? Humans are evil. We kill each other for no reason. We're all greedy. We only want ourselves to live. Self centered, blood thirsty, greedy. All these countries that are here right now? They came from war. That's all we're capable of. War. The English Civil War. The Hundred Years' War. Napoleon's Wars. The French revolution In General… The Revolutionary War… And still in America there are people that pushed the Native Americans off their homeland! Now there's slavery and…"

Kurama slapped him. Silence. "You know… Kuwabara told us why he saved you. Like we all said, you don't really want to do this from the bottom of your heart. He thought you were going the wrong way and that you needed to see the light…"

"Not according to that slideshow! Not according to Chapter Black!"

His eyes widened. "You watched Chapter Black?!"

"Yeah… With Mr. Sensui… Just when I thought the demons were bad enough…"

"Huh? Okay, fill me in. What's Chapter Black?" Yusuke asked.

"It's a slideshow that shows the darkest side of humans. It shows humans torturing demons worse that what we've seen them do to us. Just five minutes of it could turn the most loyal human against his own race... And I should know. My father made it…" Koenma sighed at him explanation. "So I'm assuming he made you guys watch it…?"

"Yeah…. But I just don't know anymore… I just don't know…" Mitarai's voice went shaky.

"Hold on, Koenma! What kind of sick bastard was your old man and why the hell would he do shit like that?!" Yusuke growled grabbing the priest by the collar of his shirt.

"Apparently, it was his justification of his studies of Demon World. He wanted to find a better place than the one he was already in. But now we see where that's got him," Koenma answered. "Would you mind putting me down then? It's not like I support this thing any more than you do. I even tried to steal it and destroy it several times, but it never worked…"

"While we're at it Koenma, why don't you fill in some gaps about Sensui. You never gave me an adequate answer," Kurama added.

"Good Lord… Everyone's just ganging up on me today…" Koenma sighed. "Okay. It's like this. Yusuke's working for me as a demon slayer. But he's not my first. He's actually the third. The first partner you really don't need to know about. She's not crazy at all. Sensui was the second. I let myself get piled with stuff to do for a few years and then had Yusuke work for me."

"So what's he doing in San Francisco? Why'd he leave?" Yusuke asked.

"Peace, Yusuke." The priest held up a hand. "I'll get to that. It was his last mission that broke him. I stopped seeing him after that. And… It was the biggest mistake I ever made… He was to go into a mansion and save some demons- sound familiar? Kinda like the thing you do for Yukina. He and his demon partner Itsuki were to stop whatever the psychics were doing. I later found out they were also opening a tunnel to Demon. The same thing that's going on.

"So they went into the mansion. He told me he split up with Itsuki at some point and was looking for him. He figured he was in another room but when he opened the doors he saw something he wasn't supposed to see…?"

"Okay. Knock it off with the dramatic pauses. It's annoying. Did he walk in on an orgy?"

"No… Should've seen that one coming. He walked in on the psychics watching Chapter Black. It broke his view of the world. The humans he vowed to protect were mutilating the demons he was sworn to kill… You see, as a child, he was raised to become an exorcist like you, Kuwabara. He had a strong sixth sense and was able to kill those demons. He told me that in those days, he decided that he was going to use his powers to help everyone in spite of being rejected by the church because of his failure to perform an exorcism their way. So he did what he could to help people with his powers without being an exorcist. That's how we crossed paths… So we both tried to protect the humans we loved… Until Chapter Black.

"It was my fault his world turned upside-down. His eyes opened. He never knew we could be so brutal. He killed everyone in the room, even the demons he was supposed to rescue…" Koenma reflected on what Itsuki told him. Itsuki knew how bad humans could be…

_Itsuki walked into the bloody room, bodies scattered about. Eyebrow raised, he called his partner's name out._

"_Don't let it bother you, Itsuki. It's okay. I'm just cleaning a spot…" Sensui murmured._

_It was really that bad for you? You never knew, Shinobu?_

"And the last time I saw or heard from Sensui was when he quit. His last words to me being, 'I want to quit… I want to die…' And this is how he used our ten years apart…" The priest sighed. "Anything else I need to tell you?"

"Save it!" Kurama cried as he slid the door open. He looked up to see Sniper standing with a man on a roof in the distance. He had black hair that he kept slicked back. Blue eyes that had once been filled with innocence but now hatred. Dark skin. An unusually calm face. _Sensui…_ "Sensui and Sniper! I knew it!"

"They followed us here, too, huh?" Yusuke said to himself confidently. "All right. Let's kick some ass!" He ran out.

Kuwabara ran into the room. "You guys, I sensed something weird! I think it's one of the seven!"

"A little late, for that, don't you think?" Koenma sighed.

Kurama stood in the doorway. "How dirty. They're coming to kill Mitarai because they find no use for him anymore…"

"You can hear them from up there?" Kuwabara asked.

"No, I can read lips…"

Yusuke, who stopped when Kuwabara told them he sensed the seven, started running toward the two psychics again. "Then we'll take these bastards out before they take him out!"

Kuwabara ran out with Koenma following.

Kurama turned back to Mitarai before he left. "Your turn. You can stay with us or go back to the other side. If you go back to the seven, chances are, we'll kill you. Or maybe they would get you first. You decide.

_Damn... Why… Why…_ Mitarai burst into tears. "I'm confused…"

---

"So Sensui, what're you here for? Givin' up?' Yusuke asked smugly.

No answer. Sensui held up two fingers.

"You're not getting no victory!"

He shook his head. "Yesterday you had two days. By midnight tonight, it'll be open. Soon demons will be free to come and go as you please. With the exception of one wall… Don't you remember, Koenma? You were the one who put the barrier up in the first place."

"Yeah. How could I not? Look, Sensui. Call this whole this off. There's still good in this world…"

"How are you sure? Frankly humans don't care as long as they know someone is keeping them in tact so they could go on with their schemes."

"Don't feed us your crap!" Yusuke growled as he fired a Sprit Gun bullet.

_Sniper!_ Kurama growled in his head when he saw Sniper was aiming at Yusuke. He cracked his Rose Whip threateningly.

The dust cleared showing that Sensui had only stepped out of the way before getting hit. He lunged forward and kicked Yusuke in the stomach.

"What the…? Augh!" Kuwabara was pulled to the ground and dragged away. "Lemme go you stupid…! Urameshi, help me!"

At that moment Sniper ran away with Kurama pursuing him. Koenma ran back inside to make sure everyone else was alright.

Yusuke's eyes darted between Sensui and Kuwabara. ("You jerk! Are you just gonna leave me here to get dragged away by the freak!" Kuwabara screamed.) _I should go help out Kuwabara… But what if Sensui goes after Koenma and Mitarai while I'm gone? I mean, Koenma can't fight, can he?_

Sensui cocked his head and ran away.

"You bastard! Don't run away!" Yusuke chased after him. _Son of a freaking bitch!_

---

_No, Yusuke. That's what he wants you to do…_ Mitarai screamed and ran out.

"What the…? Don't tell me that I have to chase people now!" Koenma grumbled and chased after Mitarai. "What's wrong?"

"They're after Kuwabara. He cut through my Territory and if he can do that… He… He can cut through your barrier."

"Shit! Why didn't you mention that before?"

"Gourmet would have gotten him even if you know!"

"Where're they taking him?"

"Devil's Door. It's just out of the town."

"Well, ain't that perfect? A creative choice for the crap you're pulling."

_A cursing priest?_

---

"Quit dragging me! Haven't you people heard of carrying people?!" Kuwabara screamed. "Huh. Oh. It stopped."

"I'm hungry…" the owner of the voice walked away.

"Why you…! You get back here or I'll..!" Kuwabara leapt to his feet when Sensui jumped over him. "Holy dammit! He jumped right over me…"

"Come on, Kuwabara! Sensui ain't gonna catch himself!" Yusuke ran past him.

"You people!" Kuwabara screamed just after Sniper barely missed him.

Meanwhile, Kurama was still chasing Sniper, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

"You tired yet, Kid?" Sniper mocked him.

Kurama ignored this leapt for the next roof, but he jumped too early. Just when he thought he was going to make a safe landing, a little girl screamed. If he landed, the girl would get…

"**Blood!**" the girl squeaked and started crying.

Kurama let out a mental sigh of relief. He caught the Rose Whip in time to save the girl, but slashed his hand nearly in half. He cringed at the pain but tolerated it. _No Sniper… _

He turned to the girl. "**You're not hurt, are you?**"

She shook her head and stared at Kurama's wound.

"**It will heal.**" He walked away.

---

_Great now _we're_ the ones jumping around on roofs…_ Yusuke growled in his head.

"Aw, crap!" Kuwabara was pulled down again.

"Oh, you stupid bastards!" He was about to go after Kuwabara when he noticed Sensui was still getting away. "Dammit… Why the hell do these bastards…?" He fired his Spirit Gun at Sensui.

Sensui stopped and kicked a ball of energy at Yusuke's Spirit Gun, popping it like it was nothing. He kicked another ball of energy at Yusuke who jumped off the roof in time.

_Now I can get Kuwabara… I need to catch up with these bastards… But how…?_ He noticed a horse walked by. _That'll work._

He leapt on the horse's back. "Ride like the wind!" He was kicked off. "…Bastard thing."

---

"**Oh dear… Things sure are going haywire…"** Eri mumbled. "**Hm… I haven't seen Sayaka-sama or Katsumi-senpai all day, come to think of it. I wonder where…"** Somebody whacked her on the head making her pass out.

"**Eri, I have better things to do than baby-sit a girl…**" Katsumi growled.

"Katsumi-san?" Sayaka gasped.

Katsumi knocked her out, too. _First soul for you, Sensui-san…_ That was when she heard voices coming down the hall- one a man's and a woman's.

"Oh, come on. What was so bad about flying?"

"First of all oars aren't supposed to fly and second of all what if someone saw us?"

"Nothing…"

The door was opened and Eri regained consciousness.

Katsumi threw a knife at Eri and glared at the one who opened the door- Hiei.

"**No! Don't kill them!**" Eri kicked the lady-in-waiting down. "**Follow me before she kills you!**"

"Intuition never failed. Good thing we came to Japan, right, Hiei?" Botan asked.

"If that's what you wanna call it…" Hiei sighed.

**End chapter 20**

Notes:  
1. Chapter Black Slideshow- You'll probably slap me for this and tell me that's the lamest thing you've ever heard. Well, I couldn't come up with anything better. I wanted to keep that idea in because it was really important to hoe Sensui turned against humans so I went the historically accurate way… Not very dynamic sounding but…  
2. Oh, my crazy chapter, what a place you hold in my heart...

We are at the climax! Four more chapters and we move onto introducing the Three Kings characters… Personally, I kinda like those parts because it gets too weird and it's funny because of its weirdness… With Yomi that's so crazy he would go and cut himself and not mind just for this person he loves. (Not telling you who but one thing's for sure it's NOT an original character…) Don't you wish you had a boyfriend like that?

Did I ever tell you that this wasn't planned to happen until the end of the story? Well, yeah, but I thought about it some more and I shrugged it off and did this now because Kurama ends up going to the US and it just won't make sense at all with the bounty…


	21. Super Drive

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 21**

"**Shuichi-kun!**" Eri cried as she ran to the redhead with Hiei and Botan following.

Kurama looked over his shoulder. "Huh? Eri? Hiei? Botan? What're…?"

"Ask about us later. We have more important things to worry about. Where's Koenma and Yusuke and Kuwabara?" Botan asked.

"Kuwabara was taken away at some point when he and Yusuke went after Sensui. Koenma went after someone just now. I suppose they're all after the one who has Kuwabara now."

"What about you?"

"Oh just…"

"Bleeding. What the hell were you doing?" Hiei growled pointing out Kurama's hand that was now wrapped up in a piece of his shirt.

"This?" the fox pointed to his hand.

"What else could I be talking about?"

"Well, I was chasing after one of the psychics opening up the tunnel but when I jumped off a roof there was a girl so if I came down I would have killed her… So I caught it in my hand. Don't worry about it too much. It would heal in a few days. Might scar though."

"Kurama!" Mitarai called the redhead as he ran to him with Koenma following. "What's going on here?" He eyed Hiei, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah… What _are_ you two doing here?" Koenma asked.

"You tell me what the hell's going on here! There was a crazy bitch back there throwin' knives and shit! Are people getting possessed here or is this crap perfectly normal?!" Hiei growled.

"Geez, Hiei. Calm down. Are you even listening to yourself?" Botan replied.

"Crazy bitch…? Katsumi?" The priest's brown eyes widened. "So what happened to Sayaka? Did you see a blue haired girl there! What'd Katsumi do to her?"

"We didn't really see anyone. It was dark."

Koenma turned to Eri. "**Did you see Katsumi or Sayaka anywhere? Apparently something weird's going on here.**"

Eri gasped eyes wide, remembering the previous events. "**Y… Yes. Katsumi… She… She betrayed us! I think she's taking Sayaka-sama to Sensui! I don't know why but I'm scared she'll kill Sayaka! What are we to do?"**

"**We find Sensui.** Everyone, we're going to Devil's Door! **Eri, you'll stay with this girl here. Her name's Botan.** Botan, you stay with Eri here."

"But what about Yusuke?" Mitarai asked.

"Ending points are the same, Mitarai," Koenma answered. "We should get going."

"I'll get Yusuke. Lord knows how many times we need to save his dumb ass," Hiei said and ran away.

"That one's settled. Onward!" Koenma cried.

---

"HEY, YOU GET BACK HERE BITCHES!!" Yusuke screamed once Kuwabara and his captor were in sight. Kuwabara was being dragged away by someone on a horse. Yusuke couldn't see the captor's face but it didn't matter once he saw Kuwabara was wrapped up in what looked like the captor's fingers. It almost reminded him of… The elder Toguro. (_No… Couldn't be. Could it?_)

"YUSUKE, QUIT CURSING! YOU'RE MAKING HIEI'S LANGUAGE SEE PRETTY CLEAN!!" Kuwabara yelled at him.

"SHUT UP! I'LL CUSS AS MUCH AS I FUCKING WANT TO, BITCH! AND I WOULDN'T BE CUSSING IF I WASN'T PISSED AND I WOULDN'T BE PISSED IF YOU WEREN'T CAPTURED BY THE FORCES OF EV-" Yusuke was kicked off the horse. "-VIL! OH, YOU SON OF A BITCH, HORSE!"

Yusuke was stomping over to the damn thing so he could kick it, but then he noticed a hole in its head. The demon slayer turned around and saw Sniper, a peddle rolling in his palm and a smirk on his face.

"Great. I really wanna beat someone's face in right about now," Yusuke said under his breath.

"What was that just now? God, why're you Americans so violent?" Sniper asked mockingly.

"Look who's talking. You're over here blowing holes in horses' heads." He felt a Territory open. "What the…?"

"Target practice. Take a look."

"Huh?" Yusuke looked down his shirt and saw a target imprinted on his chest. "Well, ain't that nice?"

"Now then. I'll give you a count to ten to get moving." He counted in Korean. "**One… Two…**"

"Oh, crap!" Yusuke ran away as fast as he could. "Damn it. They always _have_ to pick perfect timing for this crap." He flopped down in a field. "I think I got a good distance away… I need to get… What's that…?" He looked over his shoulder.

"Dah! Throwing grass! Well, ain't that creative?!" Yusuke threw a large branch at them, stopping their pursuit of him. "Take that. What a… Knives?! Rocks?! GODDAMMIT!"

He ran away. _Can't run away from them forever. I'm already starting to feel tired. Maybe If I got them to crash into each other they would shatter and go away… Wishful thinking. What am I gonna do? Wait… That's it!_ He turned around. "Shot Gun!"

Once again he ended their pursuit of him. "Whew! Huh? Another's coming… A… Holy shit! He threw a bomb! I ain't shooting that thing!" He started to run away but then it exploded. "Shee-it!"

Yusuke felt himself getting rolled over after a few minutes. "Whoa… Am… Am I dead…?"

"Hardly…" a voice answered.

"H…" Yusuke sat up. "Hiei?! What're you…?"

"Never mind that," was the simple answer.

"What just happened?"

"I shot the bomb that was after you." Hiei looked up and saw Sniper. "So this is one of the psychics opening up the tunnel… Well then…"

"Not so fast you…!" Before he knew it, Hiei pierced his heart.

There was a long tense silence. Hiei finally broke the silence only to mumble to himself. "Demon World…. I might see how she's doing again…"

"Hey, hey, hey! What's that mean? You got yourself a girlfriend?" Yusuke asked jokingly.

"Far from it. And before you continue your stupidity, tell me. When's that thing open?"

_Crap! The tunnel! Man, did that slip my mind!_ "Midnight!"

"How clichéd. Let's find the rest of them."

"Yeah."

---

"Ah! Sensui-san!" Katsumi greeted him when she finally made it to the cave. "I've done the honor of getting you the first sacrifice!" She dropped Sayaka to the ground.

"Hm?" Sensui turned to her. "Funny. I thought the boy," he indicated Kuwabara with his hand, "would do. Of course, royal blood just makes this even better. Nobles. They only think of their money. Never once have they ever thought of the lowers in society. Commoners are only ants."

He put a hand on Sayaka's cheek. "That's your future. Tyranny. Ruler after ruler only to torment the poor and benefit the rich…"

_Don't touch me…!_ The princess bit his hand and screamed, "**LET ME GO! KATSUMI, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"**

"Can I eat her?" the psychic known as Gourmet asked.

"Don't you think about it, you fat ass! Sayaka didn't do nothing! Kill me instead! Just let her go!" Kuwabara screamed.

"Or maybe I could just eat you and get your power to myself…"

"Silence, glutton. The time isn't ripe yet…" Katsumi grinned evilly. "I need to get back now, Sensui-san. **I'll make sure that bitch they call an empress dies a nice death.**"

"**Katsumi, no!**" Sensui kicked Sayaka to silence her.

_You bastards… Dirty bastards…_ Kuwabara growled in his head.

---

"So down this cave?" Yusuke asked staring at the mouth of the seemingly endless cave.

"No, Yusuke. Sensui's going to hear us coming and then take us out here and take the tunnel with him," Hiei replied sarcastically.

"Shut up."

"I know the way down here. You don't worry about it," Mitarai reassured the demon slayer as if he knew Yusuke was skeptical about the whole thing. "The trip should take two hours at the most."

"So we'd have two hours 'til midnight when he get there," Koenma said.

"Yeah…. Let's go."

As they walked in Kurama threw some seeds which turned into some glowing plants.

"What's that for?" Yusuke asked. "I think there's a reason plants don't grow down here…"

"If one of us has to go back without Mitarai, we'll know where to go," was his simple answer.

"Good thinking. Doubt we'll need it though," Koenma replied.

Hiei, who kept his eyes to the ground, stopped everyone. "Wait up. Am I the only one here who thinks that these Japanese rocks are weird?"

"How so?" Kurama asked.

"It looks like a game board… I forget what it's called."

"It's not just you…" Yusuke mumbled as he looked around. "I think we're on the board…" A giant shadow loomed over the five. "Gah! A giant horse thing!"

"Don't wet yourself. It's just a knight," an eleven year old boy appeared from behind the knight. He had brown hair that was in a bowl cut. He had large violet eyes that filled with childish innocence. His freckled face was usually painted with freckles. He also spoke with a Russian accent.

"Amanuma…" Mitarai mumbled.

"Oh, hey Sea monster." Amusement.

"Let's ignore that…" Yusuke turned to the blonde. "Which one is this?"

"Game master."

"What's his power?"

"I really don't know. I've never seen it."

"I can make games a reality. Simple. I decided to use chess 'cause it's a cool game," Amanuma explained.

"Chess, huh? I'll give it a…" Yusuke was interrupted.

"Yusuke, I'll take this one," Kurama said.

"Wha…? Why?"

"I just don't think chess is your kind of game. Not the best way for you to blow off steam either." _Sensui, you bastard. Why did you have to use a kid?_

"Well, that's no fun. I was thinking you would all come at me at once," Amanuma sighed. "They say two heads are better than one, you know. So I guess this guy's the only one with a brain, huh?"

"Can it, shrimpy!" Yusuke growled.

"Wait a second… You're just here to slow us down, aren't you?" Koenma growled. _Damn you, Shinobu…_

"Well, duh! Isn't that the point? If you want to do something but your stupid enemies are doing all they can to stop you, you gotta get as nasty to stop them as you want." He smirked.

"Enough!" Kurama ran to a pawn and tried to push it but tripped instead. _He calls this reality…?_

Game master raised an eyebrow. _Or maybe I'm being too hard on them. Maybe they're all brawns and no brains._

"I fail to see how this is reality…" Yusuke grumbled.

"There's gotta be something that creates reality. How's this game work?" Hiei asked.

"You're kidding! Even I know the answer to that question!"

"I work on a damn farm! What do you expect?"

"Basically you have these pieces-pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, the queen and the king. The pawns into one square a turn in only one direction and kill diagonally. The rooks, the tower looking ones, moves as many squares the players wants backward, forward or diagonally and kill in the same direction. The knights, the horses, can only move up twice and then to the left or the right and kill wherever they land. The thing that makes them special is that they can jump players. Now the bishops, the thing that look like fishes, move diagonally and kill in that same direction. The queen, the tallest one, can move like the other pieces and goes in any direction and kills whatever way the queen's moving as. Now the king, the one with the cross, is the most important one. It can move once in any direction and kills in that same direction. If he gets killed, you lose the game," Koenma explained.

"About the killing…" Mitarai mumbled.

"Maybe it has to do more with the pieces. But the kings…" Hiei stopped when an explosion was heard.

"Take that, you bitch!" Amanuma cried.

"Kurama?!" Yusuke gasped.

Kurama got up, slightly wounded. "Don't worry about me, Yusuke. I just got a little surprised. I didn't know exploding chess pieces counted as reality."

"Believe me, man. If this were reality, I'm the queen of England and Hiei here would be a perfect gentleman."

"Heh. That'll be the day."

"Hurry up!" Amanuma growled.

"Am I the only one who senses irony in that last line?" Koenma asked, more of a statement than a question.

_So this sucks. Kurama's getting blown up by chess pieces and we can't do nothing about it…_ Yusuke thought.

"So we wait…" Hiei whispered to himself.

---

"Damn it! Lemme go!" Kuwabara growled.

"How about now?" Gourmet asked Sensui, licking his lips.

"I've told you, Gourmet. It's not yet time."

"Come on, I'm starving."

"Gourmet, you have yet to learn true starvation. It's much worse than the small pit in your stomach now. Your hunger will go away soon," the psychic known as Gatekeeper responded calmly. _Glutton._

"Don't worry, we'll make it…" Kuwabara said to the princess despite her not understanding. "Urameshi'll get here soon."

Sayaka nodded, feeling that he spoke words of hope. _Somebody… Just…_

**End chapter 21**

Chess. Lame game for me to use, huh? Okay, you might not think so, but I do. But hey, I can't think of any better games to use. Unless... Marbles sounds better to you.

Omg, there's this really creepy guy at the mall. He sells this stuff to make you nails shiny and he is so… freaking… SCARY! Me and my sister freaking hide our nails when we go to the mall because of this asswipe. We can't get him to leave us alone because he'll keep arguing with us to make us buy it. GO AWAY, YOU FREAK!

On that note, review please!


	22. I Constantly Thank God For Esteban

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 22**

Kurama and Amanuma were equally matched, blood from their injuries dripping to the floor. Amanuma still had both of his knights, both rooks, one bishop, and three pawns left. Kurama still had his queen, both bishops, one knight, both rooks, and two pawns. They both eyed each other's kings, looking for the right strategy to follow to take it out.

"You guys, I think I got it now," Hiei said after long silence.

"The game? Man, you're slow," Yusuke replied.

"Not that, you imbecile. The reality part."

"Yeah. I see what you mean. You take some chess pieces and add some gunpowder and fire. There's exploding..."

"No. Even more wrong. It may sound stupid to say I figured this out just now but... The kings have to get killed for you to lose the game, right? I don't think it's just the king that blows up... This kid..."

_Both of their kings are exposed!_ Mitarai gaped in his head. _So it's either Amanuma or Kurama... Please, Kurama..._

"Are you stupid or what?" Amanuma asked sarcastically as he pushed a bishop to the other side of the board. "This guy'll die if I win. So if you don't mind, I'll take you out til the tunnel's opened. The demons would get in the way of our fun."

"You stupid little brat! I should blow yours brains out!" Hiei growled, clenching his fist.

"So you want to kill people just to win?" Koenma asked.

"Sure, why not? Might as well jump on the bandwagon," Amanuma replied, crossing his arms at him. "And don't try and talk some sense into me. If people could come in and kill my family and justify it nicely and walk away without punishment, then I can, too."

"I'm sorry, but..." Kurama mumbled.

Amanuma had just enough time to turn around and see his king was killed by Kurama's rook before he fell. Then the ground began to shake.

"This must be his Territory going with... Augh!" Mitarai fell with the ground.

"Holy shit!" Yusuke screamed when he fell. He was barely caught by Koenma but the two fell together not long after.

Hiei ran to Kurama to catch him before he fell. Kurama looked up at him and left go. Hiei jumped after him...

"Ow," Yusuke grunted and sat up. He looked around and stared at Amanuma's dead body and then at Kurama.

"Onward," Kurama barked emotionlessly.

"R... Right!" Mitarai whimpered, now more nervous than before. "Just down more and we'll get there."

Yusuke felt the tension and turned to Hiei as they walked on. "You know Kurama better than I do. Does this happen often?"

"Use your brain, slayer. He's Youko Kurama. Do you think he'll feel bad about killing a kid?" Hiei replied. "Maybe now he feels the remorse of taking a life."

Yusuke stared ahead absentmindedly until he heard Kuwabara's scream of "URAMESHI!". They reached the end of the cave. _Kuwabara..._

"Ah, so Urameshi returns at last," Sensui said. "Just in time for the rising action. In just one hour, judgement will finally come over humans. How funny. A demon siding with the humans? Or is he only a pet?"

_Pet my ass..._ Hiei growled in his head. _Blow his brains out..._

A heavy man with brown hair and shut eyes extended his fingers to swat the gun out of Hiei's hand. "Don't think that's very ethical, little man." He wrapped his fingers around Hiei and threw him to the other side of the cave.

Hiei jumped to his feet. "Asshole!" He turned to Kuwabara and Sayaka who were tied back-to-back with each other and pulled his sword out. "You guys, I'm getting you out of that."

"**Are you going to kill us?!**" Sayaka screamed.

"I dunno what you just said, but I'll assume it was something stupid." He sliced the ropes off.

Sensui noticed Kurama. "Ah! Shuichi! I remember you! That perfect son of Shiori's. Well, isn't this a strange turn of events? I've heard that your mother was going to be killed because you were accused of murdering me."

"I hear something about a bounty in there," the heavy man that was the psychic known as Gourmet added.

"A bounty? Do tell."

"Well..." Gourmet grabbed Kurama and dragged the redhead to him. "When everybody thought you were dead, Kurama-or Shuichi- was accused of being the murderer. He knew it wasn't him and refused to admit to doing a crime he really didn't do. So the accuser went and said he'll kill his mommy if he didn't. So the kid went to Mexico until the whole thing was forgotten. Of course, now that doesn't matter, does it, foxy? You're just pissed off Sensui used that Russian kid. And you're pretty embarrassed because as a thief you saw killing kids as the lowest thing you could do.

"You look tasty. I should eat you and your powers..." Gourmet grinned.

"So that's how you work, is it?" Kurama growled.

"Hold on. If he eats people to gain their powers then that's how he can read people's minds. I mean, I know he didn't pull that shit outta his ass." Yusuke paused. "But wait... If he can read minds... The only guy I know that can do that is..." _Murota._

"Bingo. That wimp who wanted to be a boxer," Gourmet replied with pride.

"The perfect power for a glutton, don't you think?" a demon asked. He had long green hair that fell halfway down his back. His eyes were gold and full of wisdom. He looked to always be analyzing the world. He was pale is had a trace of muscle in him. He was the psychic known as Gatekeeper.

"Itsuki... But why?" Koenma gasped.

"He's standing..." Mitarai whispered.

"Don't see why not. He's got legs," Yusuke replied.

"No, he's always been in that canoe opening the tunnel!"

Itsuki rose an eyebrow at him. "The tunnel is working by itself. It wishes to grow on its own so I let it. I leave it to the force's hands now."

"Enough talk. Gourmet..." Sensui froze when he saw for a split second that Kurama had is Rose Whip wrapped around Gourmet's head.

"May this soul rest and find the right path." Kurama whispered as he sliced Gourmet's head off. He added coldly. "Now show yourself, Toguro."

Hiei's eyes widened. "Impossible! He's..."

"I thought Hiei turned him into a flapjack!" Kuwabara gasped.

A cackle echoed from the headless body. Then the head of the elder Toguro appeared. "Oh! I've been found out! You're the only one to guess right! So it turns out you're Youko Kurama in disguise! There's something else no one could have guessed. But I personally think Youko Kurama was much prettier."

"You still live yet your brother died. The Dragon of the Darkness Flame devoured you but you still... How?"

"You're wrong! Were you sure? Did you check?"

"It had enough power to kill you. You say you can move your organs at will but that still would have gotten your whole body. Once again, how?"

"So you really don't know? That mut didn't know what he was doing! I was stronger than you thought I was! Now I have even more power! Since Sensui happened to find me on the shores of Japan, I've gotten even more powerful!"

"Like the cockroach. Now we just need the stone to crush you. But am I right in thinking you can't die now?"

"Correct! I'm invincible! With this glutton's powers, I'll just have to eat you and your powers!"

"Hold on, you bastard!" Hiei growled. "First tell me how the hell you got into the ocean and then tell me how the hell you didn't get eaten all the way. All I want is the simple version. I don't want a whole goddamn novel."

"First of all, I managed to get out of that mansion with what little I had. I kept going to the west until I went in the ocean. I went with the current until I was in Japan. Secondly, I overpowered the ogre! Now here I am. Back to business," Toguro finished his explanation. "Huh? What are you doing?"

Kurama was creating a fog. _Now your punishment. Judgment day, Toguro._

"I know this one, Shinobu. Quite useful for a thief," Itsuki commented.

"I don't believe I remember this one. It's not common among fox demons is it?" Sensui asked.

"Most prefer transformations. The second most popular choice is illusions. This is a smokescreen. That's how he got away from most of his pursuers."

"Hm. Touguro has underestimated his opponents other times from what he's told me. Perhaps this could get interesting?"

_Youko Kurama is not someone to toy with. Foolish, Toguro. Just like the one before him..._ Itsuki thought.

_Where is he? No wait... I can hear his thoughts..._ Toguro thought and listened for Kurama.

_Stay behind him... Keep my distance... Do it while he's still not looking!_

"Die!" Toguro stabbed Kurama through the heart. "If only you hadn't thought this wouldn't have happened, you stupid fox!"

Kurama stared at him. "You thought that would kill me?"

"What?! You bastard!" He kept slashing Kurama but the fox wouldn't die. "Why won't you die?!"

Kurama stepped out of the smoke without a scratch. "Toguro, you were foolish to think that not being able to die was an advantage. Like the woman who ate the mermaid's flesh, you too will regret your inability to die. Your soul has been judged."

"Wait, if that's you here? Then who the hell is Toguro beating the hell out of?" Yusuke asked.

The smoke cleared. Just then Koenma felt like he was going to puke. "Kurama... What the hell is that thing...?"

Kurama glared at Toguro who was being swallowed by a purple plant. "The sinning tree. It casts an illusion on the target and they stay that way until they die. In this case, Toguro will stay in this hellish illusion forever. Eternal damnation."

He turned to Sensui. "And now you die. And I'll make sure it won't be faked."

"Kurama..." Hiei growled.

"So you _do_ chose to he the murderer?" Sensui smirked. "If you do kill me, there would be no way to prove you innocent. And you really _will_ be a runaway from the law."

"Equal punishment..." Kurama growled his voice going colder and his eyes dotting with gold.

Yusuke stared. _Oh hell..._

Koenma mumbled under his breath, "Don't do it, Kurama."

"Kurama!" Hiei cried. He threw a rock at the fox. "I thought the reason you came to Mexico was because you wanted to prove you were innocent somehow and to stop the bounty hunters from killing your old lady! If you kill Sensui now, then all you've worked for until now becomes a huge pile of shit because in the end you really do kill him! Do you want all that to go down the drain?! You're here to stop this bastard, not kill him."

Kurama threw a rose that stabbed through Hiei's right shoulder.

"Damn it..." Hiei growled and pulled the rose out of his shoulder.

"Kurama, if you don't listen to Hiei, listen to me!" Kuwabara cried, not caring if Kurama would try to kill him too. "Did you notice that me, Hiei, Sayaka, and you are standing on something weird?"

Kurama looked down to see a giant shadow with a face staring back him/

"Wait...! I know that thing! Kurama, everybody! Get off it!" Before Mitarai could get anyone off, they were all swallowed by the shadow...

"Time to go..." Itsuki disappeared.

"What..." Yusuke mumbled.

"So half an hour left..." Sensui said.

**End chapter 22**

Notes:  
1. Pet my ass- Don't take it the wrong way. It's like saying, "Pleasant my ass..." Someone's going to think I meant it like he wants someone to touch him there, watch... Actually it cracked me up... Shutting up!

I watched the chapter Black saga to check how accurate I was compared to the real anime. The biggest change I made was Koenma's role. He came in later but in here he was there the whole time... I'll comment more later... But one big thing is that I don't spell Shinobu Shinobi. Sensui is NOT a ninja! They just don't mix.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed my last extra update. I'll be back to update on my weekly schedule. Break is over.

Review please!


	23. Cover Me

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 23**

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Kuwabara screamed. Suddenly open opened his eyes. "Oh hey. We're floating."

"Save us from more of your deafening screams. You sound like a monkey that got his balls caught in a fired pistol," Hiei growled.

"Shut it, half pint! How's that work out anyway?!"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Smug look.

"Forget I asked." He looked around. "Where are we anyway?"

"I think I've seen this thing before. I think there were quite a few in Demon World… But looking at all this crap that's floating around, I'm guessing that it feeds of human garbage. Bastard took us to another dimension of some sort."

"It's called pseudo-space, Hiei. Call him Ura-otoko. That's his name," Itsuki answered simply once he appeared.

"He's not going to eat us will he?" Mitarai gasped.

"I doubt he does feed on anything."

"Why'd you put us in here?!" Kuwabara growled.

"You don't have to yell, Kuwabara. We're only two feet apart."

He grumbled something under his breath. "Why the hell did you put us here?"

"It's just fairer for the demon slayers to fight alone without any outside interference. One against one is easier to keep track of… That is, if the priest doesn't know how to help Urameshi out. Also, I think Youko Kurama needs some time to think."

"Well, damn! So if Sensui's a demon slayer, why the hell did you last so long by his side?" Hiei asked.

"Well, I never thought someone who murdered a trial from Chicago down to Mexico was much better than my decision to stay with Shinobu," Itsuki replied, crossing his arms.

"Would you just shut the hell up and answer me."

He stared at Hiei with amusement then in deep thought. "He met me fifteen years ago. I saw him for the first time a year before. I felt a strong attraction to Shinobu at that first sight. Soon I started following him more and more after that. It was almost like a moth to a flame. But then he saw me and almost killed me…"

**Flashback**

Itsuki ran as quickly as he could manage from Sensui. Then he stepped into a puddle and slipped, falling on his face. Just as he got back on his face, Sensui had hit him with a ball of energy knocking him back face-flat into the mud. The demon rolled onto his back.

"And now your fate has come, stalker," Sensui said. "I can tell you thought I wouldn't notice your energy by the look on your face."

_So he did notice!_ Itsuki gasped in his head. He looked up into his soon-to-be killer's eyes. Those eyes! They were such a dark and perfect shade of blue with a touch of innocence. It seemed like he was actually looking at him with sympathy.

Just as Sensui was about to seal his fate, Itsuki stabbed him with a poison dart.

Sensui screamed in pain and clutched his injured shoulder. "Freaking poi… son… darts…" He passed out.

Itsuki watched in horror as he got back onto his feet. _What am I going to do now? I can't let him die…_

He heard a voice in the bushes. "I hear something weird! I hope it's a raccoon so I can take it home!"

Out of the bushes emerged Koenma with rain soaked hair. He sighed with disappointment. "I was hoping for a raccoon…" He eyed the two. "But this'll work just as well."

---

Sensui woke up in bed. He looked around, unfamiliar with his surroundings. "Where am I? Am I dead?"

"'Course not," Koenma answered a smile on his face. He gave the demon slayer a cup of tea.

"I was stabbed by a poison dart. I should be dead but I'm not."

"I guess the people in heaven hate you and sent you back."

He glared at the priest demanding a real explanation. He knew he should have been dead but… He remembered the demon he pursued… Did it have something to do with him?

"I found you on accident. I heard something in the bushes and I thought it was a raccoon so I can take it home and keep it as a pet. But it was only you. Actually, if it weren't for that noise, I would have found you dead if the demon allowed it."

"Demon? Huh?"

"I saw you and a demon standing over you. Either someone beat the hell out of his back or you went after him. I guess he didn't want you do die. I heard him sloshing around in the mud."

_The stalker? Why would he…?_

"Yeah. I got some stuff from him. Apparently, he's a runaway from the Cherokee nation. When Georgia pushed him off his home, he knew there was more to come for him so he came here in New Jersey."

"Demons can be Native Americans?"

"Don't see why not. That's like saying a Mexican can't be Canadian."

"They can't."

"If you say so. Anyway, the demon's still here. You should thank Itsuki. But if you curse him out, be easy on him because he just got out of a fight with the Jersey Devil."

"The what?!"

Itsuki poked his head through the door curiously. Then he walked in slowly, hesitation in each step.

Sensui noticed the bandages on Itsuki's back. "So I try to kill you and you save him."

He stared as if taking these words in. "Your eyes scared me. I thought the world would flood if you died even if you had no murderous intent…"

The demon slayer raised an eyebrow. "I guess I owe you for saving me then…"

"You still do that?! You're supposed to give up on that when you turn ten, if that!" Koenma laughed.

"Shut up! It's good karma to help someone in need. Besides that, you're a priest. You should be advocating that kind of thing."

"Not from a fifteen year old boy!"

Sensui turned back to Itsuki. "Just tell me what you need me to do for you and get it over with."

Hesitation. "Anything…?"

"Sure… As long as it doesn't require my virginity…."

"Well… Could I travel with you then? I don't want to get caught and sent to Indian Territory. Even they don't like me…"

"So… You ran away because you didn't want to worry about having no place to come home. I don't get the logic in that but…"

"So it's settled! You two are partners! Hug!" Koenma yelled.

"We just met. I don't hug people I just met," Sensui growled. "Besides that, it's… It's gay!"

"Happy? Very much so!" He ran out. "Have fun!"

"…He has a lot of force in him…" Itsuki mumbled.

"If that's what you want to call it…" Sensui sighed.

"…We won't stay here long, will we?"

"No, why?"

"Something scary attacked me… I heard someone call it the Jersey Devil…"

**End Flashback.**

"That was how it began and this… This is how it will end." Itsuki finished his speech.

"I don't care! I'm getting out of this dang thing! And if you don't let me out, I'll bang my way out!" Kuwabara began to bang his fists against the wall.

"What a waste of energy…"

"He's right, Kuwabara. This is just like my seaman. So the only way to get out is…" Mitarai paused. _That was just a fluke, too…_

---

While this was happening, Yusuke was getting ready to take on Sensui.

_Let's see how you used those ten years, Shinobu. Hopefully Yusuke will know what to expect…_ Koenma thought. _In that half hour… Is that even enough…?_

"So I have half an hour to beat your face in, huh? Sounds like lots of fun. I'll make this one quick for you…" Yusuke got ready to fire the Spirit Gun.

"You realize I could easily dodge your Sprit Gun? All I have to do is simply step to the side or just pop it with my own energy," Sensui mocked him.

"Shut up!"

"How about we take a twist?" A ball of energy appeared in Sensui's hand.

"That's as bad as you say my Spirit Gun is."

"Hardly…" Suddenly that ball became at least fifty more. "Splinter Resshuuken!"

_Oh crap! Can't dodge 'em all!_ Yusuke was hit. "Damn it!"

"Shinobu!" Koenma body-slammed his old friend, barely able to knock him into the lake. "Just because I'm a priest doesn't mean I can't fight… Even if it will mess up my back in anther hundred to three hundred years."

Sensui leapt out of the lake and kicked a ball of energy at the priest who blocked the shot with a barrier.

"I thought you knew better, Shinobu. I still have this after all," He held up his pacifier.

"So that thing did have some importance."

"You know what, Koenma? Back off! I'm kicking his ass! What the hell is that thing anyway? I mean how the hell can it create barriers and stuff?!" Yusuke growled.

"It's called the Maffuken. It holds all my power and it's what keeps the barrier between the Human World and Demon World. That's where your plan is flawed, Shinobu! The only demons that would make it through are the weaker ones!" Koenma said.

"Your brain's flawed! Who would tell their enemy that?!"

"But it should have been figured out a long time ago. What kind of person would have a pacifier at my age? I'm seven hundred years old, mind you. And with that in mind, you would think you would sense energy from me. So I really have almost all my power in this…"

"Oh, that's even better!" Sarcasm.

"Splinter Resshuuken!" Sensui's voice broke in.

Koenma was caught off guard by Sensui's sudden attack. When he was hit, the Maffuken was thrown in the air for Sensui to catch.

"I'll be taking that," Sensui said with a smug smile. "So this needs to be destroyed and then my plan can continue…"

"Hey!" Yusuke kicked Sensui in the head. "Forgot about me?"

"Hardly. Splinter Resshuuken!"

"Shotgun!" Yusuke hit the older man at the same time he was hit. The pacifier was thrown into the air during the hit.

"Gotcha!" Yusuke grabbed it before he fell into the lake.

"Yusuke!" Koenma helped him out. "You're okay, right?" When the demon slayer nodded, Koenma added, "Good. Quick, give me the Maffuken so we can finish this!"

"Don't think so. I started this fight so I'll end it alone." He put it in his pocket.

"You stupid…" He tried to take it from Yusuke but Yusuke elbowed him between the eyes, knocking the priest unconscious.

"Don't know how many times I've wanted to do that…" Yusuke muttered. "Okay, Sensui. Let's finish this!"

---

"He knows he can't take him alone…" Hiei mumbled.

"If only there was a way to get out…" Kuwabara growled.

"There is a way to get out. I have to let you go or you could escape if you could cut through a dimension," Itsuki replied.

"If we kill him, I get the first hit," Hiei growled.

"**It's ten minutes until midnight! I heard something about midnight from Katsumi! What happens?!**" Sayaka asked, her voice shaking.

"…**We'll all die if no one does anything. That's what happens**," Kurama answered her in Japanese.

"So I'm gonna assume you're talking about the Tunnel. Well, we have it all in the hands of Yusuke. And… Chances are if he goes alone, we'll fail…" Hiei said.

"Hiei, shut up! He'll make it! I know he will!" Kuwabara growled.

"But have you considered Shinobu's purposes?" Itsuki asked.

'What're you babbling about now?"

"Death. He wants everyone to die. ("Gee, ya think so?" Kuwabara grumbled.) But maybe Shinobu really has a purer reason. Death is the departure to heaven or hell so they say. Koenma always told Shinobu that our time here is a temporary hell and when we die, we go straight to heaven. Perhaps Shinobu's reason is to take us all to heaven. He is the purest of them all…"

"I'd hardly think that's the reason," Kurama replied.

"Be patient. In tens minutes or when Urameshi and the priest are killed I will release you…" Itsuki turned away from him.

_Hurry, Yusuke!_ Kurama thought.

---

"If you keep blocking my shots with that, you'll use out all its power and would have no energy left to hold the barrier up," Sensui mocked Yusuke. "Splinter Resshuuken!"

Yusuke blocked the shot. _He's right… Damn it. Why does he have to be right _now? "Shotgun!"

Koenma sat up. He wobbled as he got to his feet, rubbing his forehead. "Damn it, Yusuke. That's why I told you not to keep it! You don't know what to do with it and I still need some energy to keep the barrier up!"

"Well, that's too bad! This guy's gonna get his ass beat!"

_Stupid!_

Sensui caught them off guard. "Splinter Resshuuken!"

"Oh shit!" Koenma jumped into the lake.

"Screw this! Shotgun!" The two demon slayers hit each other at the same time. That was when things started to get weird…

There was a gunshot heard. Yusuke turned around to find the person who fired the shot but stopped when he saw blood rise to the surface of the lake. That could only mean…

"Koenma!" Yusuke was stopped when another gunshot was heard. Yusuke saw it came from Sensui! _His arm! It's got a gun instead of a hand! Oh god… I think I'm gonna puke…_

"Heh heh heh… Don't worry, kid. I ain't like that wussy Minoru whop talks for five hours and kills too fast. I'm gonna be nice to ya and give ya time to leave blood. Same goes for that moron Koenma depending on where I got him…. Heh heh…" Sensui laughed.

"Sen… sui?"

He fired. "Sensui ain't here, bitch! Name's Kazuya! Get it right!"

---

"He has multiple personalities, too?' Kurama gasped.

"Don't tell me this gets weirder!" Kuwabara whined.

"Of course he does. Shinobu doesn't kill humans. Kazuya of course if a different story. I hope Urameshi's said his prayers…" Itsuki mumbled.

**End chapter 23**

Notes:  
1. What was pseudo space again?- Okay, not all of us remember so, reminder! It's the space between Human World and Demon World.  
2 .Jersey Devil-a creature said to be in Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey. Often described as a bipedal creature with hooves. Most stories of its origins relate to a woman who didn't want to keep her son or was cursed or something of the sort. The most well known one is the woman throwing her son into the river because he was ugly. That river is said to have a rock that sucks air to it so if you swim near it, you get sucked away. At this time it was blamed for livestock killings and strange tracks. For more info look into it at wikipedia.  
3. Splinter Resshuukenb-I don't know if that's the right word. I'm going by the English version here so bear with me. Help me if it's wrong.  
4. Gun hand- Last time I checked, this wasn't possible in this time period, but sources for 1849 stuff are hard to find…

It's so cold… Next chapter's the last of the chapter Black series. Next I get you a bit of fan service. (Very tiny bit…) Then we go into people's pasts. And psycho Yomi. Because I have no clue what I was thinking when I made him like that… Anyway hope you enjoy.

One last thing. I wrote a one shot called One more Time to Kill the Pain. Read it if you think it sounds cool… Yeah.

Review please!


	24. Build God Then We'll Talk

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 24**

A thought suddenly came to Kurama. "How many personalities does Sensui have?" _Seven graves with make a good start...?_

"Seven. Of the other sis, Shinobu is the purest. Actually, one of them is a girl. She only appears before me... You can say we're in love," Itsuki replied.

"Augh! That's something you keep to yourself, man!" Kuwabara screamed and backed away.

_Seven personalities... Seven graves_..."No!" Kurama gasped.

"What? Was that for Itsuki coming out of the closet or...?"

"You remember what Sensui's thoughts were?"

"The seven graves thing? Yeah? Why?"

"Don't you get it now? When he thought about seven graves... The seven graves weren't for the Seven, they were for Sensui alone! The other six were only pawns!"

Mitarai's eyes widened. _We were only a distraction... Someone to get in the way so he could progress..._

"You're wrong, Youko Kurama!" Itsuki growled. All eyes turned to him mostly because he finally brose his voice top someone. "Shinobu would never do that! It was Minoru!"

"Sensui's a nutjob!" Kuwabara growled back. "Get over it, man!" Suddenly he felt a force tightening on him. "What the... Arms?"

"Don't do anything else!" Hiei pointed his sword at Itsuki. "I've been to Demon World once so I have an idea of how you people work, yaminate!"

"A yaminate?" Kuwabara gasped.

"Yaminate. The devil with eight arms. Pretty rare to catch one and I've heard they can move through dimensions," Mitarai explained.

"Yeah and I won't feel bad about finishing the yaminate race off altogether," Hiei growled.

"Suddenly I don't feel so bad for that race anymore…" Kurama added.

Itsuki sighed. "And the end is near…"

---

Yusuke was running away from Kazuya's shots.

"Quit running ya shitball!" Kazuya growled.

_He got me!_ "Augh! My leg!"

"That's why ya don't run, bitch!" He walked to Yusuke like an animal coming in for the kill. He grinned at the thought of killing the demon slayer.

_Gotta get away…_ Yusuke tried to crawl away but Kazuya fired another shot purposely missing Yusuke's hand.

"Keep moving and you'll be playing target practice with me. Then you'll really have fun being a nonmoving target… Heh, heh, heh… Stupid kid."

"Grr… Shut up! Don't mess with Asians, dammit!" Yusuke shook his fist at him. _Come on, Koenma! Get out of the lake! Just let me know you're alive!_ Suddenly Kazuya fired another shot, hitting Yusuke in the same spot he was hit before.

"Oops! Did I do that? My bad! I lied! You're getting target practice fun now and it's not just because I'm not supposed to mess with Asians!" He fired again. Yusuke barely had enough time to dodge the bullet.

"Damn it!" _At this rate, I'll either get turned into the human Swiss cheese or bleed to death!_ "Spirit Gun!"

Kazuya stepped to the side to dodge the shot. "Then again, Minoru isn't so full of crap. Maybe this'll be easier than I thought…"

"Shotgun!" Yusuke jumped into the lake just when he saw Kazuya was hit.

"You bastard!" _Wait… I can still find you. You're bleeding so I can follow the blood…_ He started firing at a trail of blood which started to move toward him. "You really _are_ a stupid kid!"

Out of the lake jumped not Yusuke but Koenma! Koenma jumped on the demon slayer, knocked him to the ground, and started to wrestle with him. He used all the strength he could to make Kazuya's gun point to the roof of the cave.

"Kazuya, get the hell away and bring Shinobu here! Not the other guy who talks all that BS or anyone else in there!" Koenma growled.

"Hell no, bitch!" Kazuya growled.

"Shinobu! I know you're in there! Get your sorry ass out!" Holding both of Kazuya's arms with one hand and holding Kazuya's face to the side with his elbow, he took a lock of his dripping hair and let the water drip into Kazuya's ear. "Let him out."

Kazuya tried to move but Koenma was using more strength than his looks suggested. He twitched at each drop of water but still continued to resist.

"Make him get out. I don't like resorting to Chinese water torture."

"No!" He fired and flung the priest off him with all the power he managed to gather. "Eh? No! I can take him! Let me take him! Don't! No! No! No!" Kazuya started banging his head on a wall of the cave, still arguing with himself.

Yusuke crawled out of the lake, coughing up water. "…Wha… What's… Going… On?"

"Yusuke…" Koenma turned to the demon slayer, his voice grave. "I'm about to say something I never thought I'd ever have to say to you…"

Sensui finally regained his composure and turned to face the two.

"Yusuke, this is Shinobu Sensui, my old partner before I met you…"

He reattached his hand that had fallen off when Kazuya appeared. "My apologies for Kazuya. He tends to be short on temper and sanity. Besides that, he isn't a good opponent to fight with…" His body flared up with golden energy. "Let's keep our introductions short since we have about four minutes left… I'm Shinobu Sensui and as Koenma had stated, I was the last one to work for him." His eyes shifted between the two. "Yusuke Urameshi. Koenma Daioh."

---

"Is that… Sacred energy?' Kurama gasped.

"You mean this gets weirder?! What's Sacred energy?!" Kuwabara asked.

Kurama shook his head. "I don't know that much. All I know it composed of rumors and you know how reliable those are…. I know it's not Spirit Energy or Demon energy… But the thing is it takes forty years to master… How?"

"So we got a loony here who doesn't know how to use his power?!"

"Once again you're wrong. Forty divided by seven is six isn't it?" Itsuki replied.

Kuwabara growl and beat a hand on a wall. _Damn… Damn… Damn!_ "I'm getting out of here like I got out of Mitarai's thing!" _Com' on. I know I have it in me…_

---

"Bring it on! Four minutes is good enough for me! I can take someone down in a minute flat! And don't mess with Asians!" He used the shotgun.

Sensui was hit but he recovered from the blow almost instantly. "Your skill. It can take a demon very nicely but that's where you're lacking. I'm not a demon. I know this kind of attack well. Too well."

"Oh shut up and fight me or I'll blow your head off!"

"I would kill you too fast if I fight by the standards you want me to. I'd rather you at least watch the gates of hell open."

"Shotgun!"

Once again, Sensui recovered quickly. "You know… This almost brings me back to the days of being a demon slayer. I would kill demons because I knew if I let them live they would come and attack again. I remember I always found the same ones I let live in possessions… But the most memorable was when they possessed the closest person to me at the time… Remember, Koenma?"

"Yeah. It was the first time I've experience what a possession was like firsthand."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "You mean that's why you never gave me any possession cases?"

"You're not yet ready for that kind of thing. The hell the victim goes through is too painful to watch… You too weren't ready for those assignments, Shinobu. Yusuke…" Koenma took off his shirt, revealing that his chest and arms were scarred. "You're wrong. The reason I didn't let you do exorcisms is not only are you inexperienced but because you wouldn't be able to take the toll it has on your body."

"How was I able to do it then? Without a scratch?" Sensui asked mockingly.

Koenma glared at him. "You did it wrong. The victims took the scar."

"How can you do that wrong?! If you do it wrong, wouldn't the victim end up dying?!" Yusuke asked.

"I was doing it partially right then…" Sensui made a wry smile. "You want to know how then? Well, you see…"

---

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Kuwabara screamed and tried to form the Jigen Tou. "Come out already!" The power surged within him.

Itsuki felt the power from Kuwabara. "…No… I've done all I can Shinobu!"

Kuwabara cut through Ura-Otoko, but once everyone was out, it was too late…

----

"All I do is stab the victims through the heart and see if they live!" At that moment Sensui's hand went straight through Yusuke's chest.

"Out of time…." Sensui said and walked into the tunnel. _Case over. Defendant found…_

"Yus… uke?" Kuwabara mumbled. He shook the demon slayer. "Wake up. You're not…" He checked him pulse and stared at the ground in shock. "No… He's not… He can't be… Dead."

"**Yusuke-kun…? He…**" Sayaka started to cry.

"You…" Hiei rolled up his sleeve to show his right arm had been bandaged. "Hey Kurama…"

"Yeah?' the red head answered his voice just as cold as Hiei's.

"Remember all that crap I gave you about killing Sensui?"

"Yeah."

"Screw it."

"Hey, we agreed for once."

He tore the bandages from his arm revealing a dragon scarred on his arm. "SHINOBU SENSUI, MINORU, KAZUYA, AND WHOEVER THOSE OTHER ASSHOLES IN THERE ARE, YOU'RE GOING TO HELL NOW! DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME!"

Kurama's fiery hair turned silver and his emerald eyes turned into a cold gold.

"Hold yer horses!" Kuwabara cried as he leapt into the tunnel with them. "Yee-haw!"

"Are you going, too?" Mitarai asked Koenma.

"No. You and me are gonna have to take these demons coming in. Even though Hiei did master the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, that doesn't me he won't keep them from coming. One person can't take all these demons alone."

"I thought you said that barrier keeps those demons out."

"They have Kuwabara to take it down."

"He wouldn't destroy it would he?"

"Humans do crazy this at crazy times. They come!"

Mitarai opened his Territory. "Ready for it."

---

Youko stopped at the barrier. "Coward! You go where we cannot! Stop running and fight as like a man! Are you afraid of a fox?"

"MOVE IT ASSHOLE!" Hiei beat the barrier with a fist cringing at the pain of its shock. "Goddamn that Mexican War. If I didn't kill so many Americans I would've still been able to pass through."

"How sad. You can't come back. Why do you want to?" Sensui mocked them.

"You guys, I'm cutting this thing down!" Kuwabara was about to charge at the barrier.

"Are you crazy?! We've been fighting because we want this shit up! What the hell is wrong with this picture?" Hiei growled.

"Hiei, either we go for this or it's nothing and we let this bastard go. Urameshi wouldn't want number two. Does he mean that little to you?" Kuwabara turned back to the barrier when Hiei gave no reply. "Forgive me for this later. Here we go!" He cut the barrier down.

At that moment Hiei pounced on Sensui but before Hiei could give him a good kick in the face Sensui slashed Hiei's throat and threw him aside.

Sensui looked shocked for a moment. _Why is he doing this? Demons don't love humans like they would a brother would they? He isn't doing this for Urameshi, is he?_

"Why are you looking shocked Mr. Sensui?"

Sensui was surprised by finding Youko Kurama behind him. He grabbed the end of his Rose whip. "Exorcism Spell number five! _Let this soul find eternal peace and the demon eternal damnation!_"

At that moment the Rose whip exploded and Sensui ran away.

"Kurama! You alright?' Kuwabara asked Kurama as he helped the fox who was blown away by the explosion up.

"Just a little shocked," the fox turned to Hiei. "The real question should be if Hiei's alright."

Hiei got up, wiping the blood off his neck.

"So Hiei how's your pride?"

Hiei glared at him and ran after Sensui.

"Let's go."

---

"How many demons are there?!" Mitarai growled as his seaman killed another demon.

"Believe me, these guys can get hungry. And when they are they eat a lot. You get a good example of that if you've watched Hiei eat." Koenma replied.

"I fail to see how that answers my question."

"If one demon's hungry another would starve so that one would eat. That's the law they live by. But they don't know how many humans there are here…"

"Hey wait… They're turning back all of a sudden."

Koenma turned to Yusuke's body and raised an eyebrow but then he remembered… He looked grave. "That aura…"

"It's coming from Yusuke? The demons must've sensed it too…"

A wry smile formed on the priest's face. "I'm not sure if I should be afraid or glad this is happening."

Yusuke shot up. "DAMN IT! THAT FREAKING HURT!" He spat on his hand so he could wash off the blood on his chest. "Man… Oh shit! The barrier's open! And you guys didn't say anything to me?!" He ran into the tunnel

"You're letting him go?!" Mitarai gasped. "What is all this?!"

"You don't need to know, Mitarai. It's a long story. I'm going in. You can go home now but take Sayaka back to the palace on your way back. If I ever get the chance, I'll see you in London or Paris or wherever you're going. Where are you going?"

"Back to London. I'll be studying for medical school… I'll look forward to it, Koenma…." Mitarai took the princess by the hand. _Freedom. It's been a while since I really was free…_

Koenma nodded and ran into the tunnel.

---

Kuwabara fell to the ground with a thud. He coughed up some blood before he got back up. "I'm not backing down. You gotta kill me first."

"Another…" Hiei said to himself. "Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" Instead of directing it at Sensui, he directed it at himself.

"Hiei!" Kuwabara screamed. "Not you…" He stopped when he saw Hiei was still there without a scratch.

"Now it's your head!" Hiei leapt forward and summoned the dark flames to his sword. "Sword of the Darkness Flame!"

"Exorcism spell number five!_ Let this soul find eternal peace and the demon eternal damnation!_" Sensui stopped the flame but still had his palm slashed open. "Exorcism spell one! _Give me strength to destroy the demon!_"

Hiei fell to his knees screaming in pain.

"_Die! Die! Di_-" Kurama tried to Rose whip him but Sensui used the fifth exorcism spell on the Rose whip He used the first spell on both Kurama and Hiei while still fighting of Kuwabara.

"You bastard!" Yusuke's was heard.

Sensui relieved the demons of his spells. Silence. "I just…"

"I got a bone to pick with… Whoa!" Yusuke aimed his Spirit Gun. _What the…? I'm not… I'm not doing this! It's like someone…_ He suddenly pictured a man with long white hair, black eyes, and pointed ears in his mind. _The hell is that…?_

And Yusuke said in a voice that wasn't his, "Die." He fired a Spirit Gun that sent Sensui flying to a forest about half a mile away.

"Holy crap!" Yusuke ran after the demon slayer.

Koenma appeared at that moment. "Where's Yusuke?"

"He's headed for the Forest of Fools," Hiei answered simply.

"Damn!" He ran to the forest with everyone following. Once they got there, all they saw was Yusuke standing over Sensui's dead body.

"Yusuke…?" Koenma said.

Yusuke looked at him. "I don't know what just happened! It wasn't me but it was at the same time and…"

"Calm down. Tell me what happened."

"I don't…" He thought of that man in his vision. He shook his head. "Kurama…. I killed him… Well in a way I did… Ugh… Look, I'll take the blame so you can be innocent." Yusuke was slashed across the back.

"Itsuki!" Kurama gasped.

"Bastards! You dirty bastards! Was that what all this was about?!" Itsuki growled. "It's even more wicked than what you say Shinobu's plot was!"

"No, it wasn't! Honestly, Itsuki!" Koenma couldn't say more.

"I don't care for your reasons! I'm leaving this world…" He took Sensui's dead body with him into another dimension.

Silence. Koenma looked at his feet.

"Let's go. …Before anymore demons come. I need to make another barrier…"

---

_Case over. Defendant found…_

_Innocent until proven guilty._

**End chapter 24…**

Notes:  
I forgot two last chapter:  
1. Itsuki left Georgia because in 1836 the Indian Removal Act was passed so all Indian were taken off their land and moved to Indian Territory which what's now Oklahoma.  
2. Mafuukan-The Mafuukan was a spell that created a barrier that would stop even an S class demon. That's it in a nut shell. I took my twist on it.  
3. Chinese water torture-basically putting droplets in someone's ear as torture. I forget how to explain it.  
4. Koenma's last name- I've heard people use this as his last name. I'm not sure if it's the right spelling or if he even has a last name. Well, he has one now.

On that angsty note, I end the Chapter Black series! Yay! But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Whew! And I added on chapter titles because I thought they would help me remember what happened in that chapter! XD But they're mildly inappropriate!

And I'm pissed because I closed the car door on my finger! It hurt like all words that mean painful that's not in this world. And it's purple now! OMG! I'm scared my nail would fall off….

Extra I think 6  
"So Hiei, how's your… Oh crap!" Hack, hack! Youko coughed up a hairball. "Ow…"

Hiei yelled, "Quit it with the hairballs!"

Extra 7  
Remember Mitarai you don't cut down the street, you go across it… (Me and my people cutting themselves jokes…)

Thanks to everyone who read all the way to here! You rule. And a special thanks to Psyco Anime Luver for pointing out errors in my grammar and anything else in general! You rule! I would've found out too late if you didn't…

Review please!


	25. Heart Ache Tonight

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 25**

"So what makes you say you kinda killed Sensui? I dunno how you could kinda do that, you know what I'm saying?" Kuwabara asked Yusuke for what seemed the hundredth time.

"Look, man. I can't explain it," Yusuke replied. "I did it physically but not mentally. You get it now? As in the lights were on but no one was home."

"You mean you were possessed? Have no fear, Urameshi, I can…"

"I'd rather you not try anything…"

Koenma sighed. "I'm gonna come out with it."

"Come out?" Botan cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"He means he coming out which means he's coming out of the closet which means he's admitting he's ga-" Yusuke was interrupted.

"Yusuke!" Koenma sighed again. "I haven't told you this but I did a background check on you… It wouldn't have mattered before because it was generations ago so I figured it wouldn't matter if I didn't tell you."

"What? Quit it with the dramatic pauses or I'll use the orgy joke again."

"Yusuke, you're really a descendant of Raizen."

"Raizen…?" Yusuke gasped and stared in shock. But then he smiled. "Raizens! I love Raizens! Except when my mom tries to make them. If there's one thing my mom can't cook it's Raizens."

"You idiot! Those are _raisins_ not Raizen!"

"Hey, they must taste just as good."

"Yusuke, Raizen's a demon, not a dried up grape! But the thing is his demonic blood must have remained dormant all those generations until now."

Yusuke remembered the man in the vision. "I guess it makes sense. A guy that looked like that wouldn't look good in an orgy."

"What is with you and orgies?!" Botan cried.

"What? They're funny!" Yusuke burst out laughing.

"I'm going to ignore that…" Kuwabara sighed. "So how's this whole thing work?"

"Well, it doesn't happen in most cases. You se, the only demons that can have children with humans are those stronger demons- the ones I blocked with my barrier. When that happens, the half demon would be like the demon parents. There're a few cases in which the half demon inherits no power and it goes to another generation. How that happens I don't know. I don't know how things will go with Yusuke…" Koenma turned to Yusuke. "You said something about a guy you saw."

"It was a vision. He had freaky white hair and these weird black eyes… And his ears they were pointy and… and!" Yusuke shook head. "So that was all Raizen, huh? What else you got on this guy?"

"Nothing past his name and how he's a demon. Hiei would know."

"Speaking of Hiei, where is that little freak anyway?" Yusuke looked around.

"Eating or sleeping," Botan sighed.

Eri and Sayaka walked in.

"**Good morning!**" Ayame greeted the girls. "**Huh? Shouldn't Katsumi be with you two…?**"

"**Katsumi is going to get executed for treason. My father found out she was helping that man**," Sayaka replied.

Ayame stared at her like she was a freak. _She's saying it like it's a good thing! I think I should be scared now…_

---

_Ow… My head hurts…_ Kurama thought as he sat up. He yawned and looked to his left to see Hiei staring at him.

"ACK! What're you doing here?! You weren't touching me in places you weren't supposed to be touching, were you? Or planning an orgy?! Or…" he was interrupted.

"Oh, get over yourself. I'll touch you once you grow some. I know I'm bi but I won't get _that_ desperate. I was just waiting for you to get up so I could ask you something."

"Why can't you wait in the front with everyone else?"

"I'd rather save myself a head ache."

"Okay. So what were you gonna ask me then?"

"…You wanna go home, right?"

"Yeah, sure." _Why's he asking me this?_

"Well, let's say I found a way to prove you innocent without pushing it all on Yusuke. Would you wanna leave Mexico and go back to California?"

"I dunno… San Francisco is my home, but… Mexico felt more like home than it did there… I've made all these friends and well, it wouldn't feel right leaving them behind. But at the same time, I knew Mother must be worried and I still have school, too. I kinda doubt people would want to talk to me because of this mess. I can't decide. Do you want me to go?"

"Why are you asking me, dumb ass? It's your decision."

"Yeah, but I'm living at your house. So I you don't want me to stay, I'll go back home but if not… I dunno."

Hiei sighed. 'And to think you would have just said you wanted to go home a couple of months ago."

"Two months ago I didn't have friends in Mexico and you were still an ass to me. I guess you're okay with Americans now? Not all of us are that bad."

"Hell no, I'm not okay with Americans."

"But you can never tame a mule."

Hiei glared at him.

"The truth hurts sometimes."

Silence. Hiei kissed Kurama.

Kurama pushed him away. "Don't do that! It… Oh, wait. You're bi so you won't be grossed out."

"In your case, it's a wake up call." Hiei walked out.

_Wake up call indeed._

---

"**So you're leaving now?**" Eri asked Koenma.

"**Yup. I'll visit you all again. I got plenty of places to go to. So I'll see you in a while, okay Sayaka-sama?**" Koenma replied, nodding to the princess who smiled at him with that being said.

"Hey, is it me or is she blushing?" Kuwabara whispered to Yusuke.

"**Oh, Yusuke-kun!**" Sayaka called to the demon slayer.

"I heard my name…" Yusuke turned around.

"**You're not much of a hero you know! I'm forgetting you! I think I'll ask that boy they call Game Master out! He was pretty cute!**" _Koenma is, too…_

Kurama translated this to Yusuke.

Yusuke frowned. "Hey, now…"

"**And you better come back someday, too!**" she added.

"Uh… Whatever you say!"

"I'm gonna assume she told you to come back later. If I were you, I wouldn't come when she's old enough to get married," Hiei said. Yusuke nodded in agreement.

---

**July 7**

"Hey, Kurama!" Yusuke greeted the fox that day.

"Oh, hi Yusuke." Kurama smiled.

"Heh, Mom sent me a letter saying that she'll kick my ass if I don't come home by my birthday, she's pissed."

"My sis did the same thing," Kuwabara said.

"Really? When's you're birthday?" Kurama asked.

The exorcist's eyes shifted and he whispered his answer as if it were the secret man was never to know. "Don't tell anyone but… It's in December."

"Damn! She must really not want you to come back!" Yusuke cried.

"Can it, Urameshi!" Kuwabara shook his fist at him. "Yeah, but I was plannin' on going back in the middle of the month. Just so you know, if you try and catch me at home next month, I won't be there. We were supposed to go to Texas to visit relatives. It's gonna be mighty lonely over there, I tell you what."

"I know what you mean. I think Hiei might want me to go home for some reason. He's been asking me weird questions about if I want to go home or not…" Kurama added.

"Huh? But I thought you wanted to go home," Yusuke replied.

"I thought I wanted to go home when I first came but you know… I don't want to go at the same time. Two months… In these two months I've done more than I'd probably do in my whole life."

"Kurama's leaving Jin?" Jin asked just when he heard Kurama was leaving.

"Maybe…" He looked at the red haired wind master who was now teary eyed. "Jin?"

"KURAMA CAN'T GO! KURAMA WAS JIN'S BEST FRIEND! JIN DOESN'T WANT KURAMA TO GO BECAUSE HE'LL BE ALL ALONE!"

"Well…"

"I thought Hiei was your best friend!" Yusuke said.

"Hiei's been scaring Jin lately. He works too much…" Jin replied sorrowfully.

"Touya?"

"Touya went back to Chicago."

"Suzaku?"

"Suzaku's stinky."

"Shishi?"

"Shishi's forehead's creep and he's stinky."

"Everyone thinks so…"

"Jin is sad!" He flew away.

Kurama sighed. _I wish I came here sooner or when it didn't matter as much whether I stayed home or not. Now I've dug myself too deep._

---

"I'm home," Kurama announced gloomily as he walked into Hiei's house. He noticed a note folded in half and carelessly left on a chair placed by the window. ("That's a reason not to run in here," Hiei explained the chair's placement.) He eyed it with deep curiosity.

"Since when did this become your home?" Hiei asked, looking back at the red head. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed it was the note Kurama was looking at. "You ain't gonna read that, are you?"

"Am I supposed to?"

"'Til you wanna go home, you can't."

_Go home? But…_ "What're you doing over there?"

"I'm making tea since I don't feel well. I think you're rubbing off on me."

No answer.

"You really left a mark on us, you know? Heh. I think I'll miss you and your stupid questions. Don't tell anyone I said that though."

_Don't say that. _"That note… It's proof of my innocence, isn't it?"

"Hate to say it, but… Sure is."

"So you're just feeling bad about it, aren't you?"

"About that… Look…"

"Don't say anything. I guess I'll just go home." Kurama walked away and slammed the door to his room.

Hiei sighed. "You are one stupid kid." _I was going perfectly fine until you came along. Now I think I'm going insane._

Then he remembered Yusuke's words and the image from his dream. He shook his head. Then the kettle whistled, making him jump and crash into the wall. "Goddamn kettle. I hate you. …Stop mocking me!"

---

"March 21

"To whom this may concern:

"On this day… Ugh," Kurama sighed and threw the note on the ground. The third time reading it didn't make him feel any better.

"Mrow!" There was the sound or scratching on the door. "Meow… Meow…" Scratch, scratch, scratch…

_Paco…_ Kurama opened the door with a gloomy sigh. He looked down and saw Hiei crouched in front of the door. "What the hell, Hiei?!" He slammed the door ignoring the cat's howl when it hit his tail.

"Kurama…." Hiei opened the door so Paco could get his tail out. "Look. I ain't trying to guilt trip you or anything, but you know I was going to tell you. How was I 'sposed to know you liked it here? Touya gave it to me when you were in Japan. He thought you wanted to go home as soon as possible. But… You can stay if you want. I guess I want you to stay here, too. I can't screw with your life. I can be alone again. Make sure we cross paths again 'cause it's awkward to say but… I love you."

Kurama's eyes widened. He stared at the ceiling as he heard the older man's light footsteps. Walk across the hall and into his room.

He got up late at night and tapped on the door. He walked in right after.

"Nn…" Hiei sat up and yawned. "Shoon' yoo be slippin?"

"I'm confused…" Kurama mumbled.

Hiei shrugged. "I am, too…"

---

"How can you eat after that?" Kurama asked, staring at Hiei who was eating his breakfast without a care in the world.

"Don't see why you can't. Like I said, I was confused. Besides that, I'm bi so it's perfectly normal," Hiei answered coolly. "Get over it."

"Get over it?! My mother would kill me! If I did want comfort, I didn't mean like that!"

"You tell your mom these kinds of things? I'd hardly think she'd be interested in the last time you…"

"And the neck biting…!"

_He's Youko Kurama and he doesn't know what mate biting is?_ "Tell you when you're my age. 'Til then…"

"You're mocking me…"

**End chapter 25**

Notes:  
I might have some of the information about the inheritance of power wrong. If you understood that load clear up for me, will ya? Love you.

Whew! Fan service! Though I still can't believe I wrote that… XD

Extra 8? Fan service… Again.  
Insert really explicit yaoi scene in whatever style you choose. For those of you who are not interested look at the bottom of your computer screen for a Star Wars battle scene! (Star Wars music)

Isn't that outrageous?! Next will be going into everyone's past staring off with Yusuke! Hell yeah! …Or not because he's never really that important… Sadness aura.

Til then…. Review please!


	26. Crazy

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 26 **

**August 5 **

"August and you're already fifteen. Can't believe how fast time flies…" Keiko sighed as she watched the sunset on the roof of Yusuke's house.

"Yup. I remember when we were kids… I used to drive you nuts! You remember that?" Yusuke asked his friend while a smile.

"How can I not? You still do!"

"How can you say that?" He noticed Keiko sighed at him. "Hey, I'm gonna be going to New York soon."

"What, you want me to grab you by the ankles and tell you not to go?"

"No, when I come back, we're gonna get married."

Keiko frowned at him. "You're stupid if you really think I'll do that."

"What? Why not?"

"Yusuke, I'm a normal girl. You're… not."

"Of course I'm not, Keiko! I'm a guy!" Yusuke burst out laughing.

"Yusuke, you know what I mean. I'm honest when I say no. Your friends are that demon guy that killed people in New York and Chicago. Then you have that other one that has a fox demon living in him. Another is a horrible exorcist. And don't get me started on that priest with the pacifier. It's too much for me to handle."

"What's wrong with the guys?"

"Yusuke, I already told you. I'm a normal girl. I want to live a normal life." She climbed off the roof. "I want to get married and have kids… Normal would be without the demons. I can't take this much longer. I'm going to find myself a good boyfriend and marry him instead." She walked away.

"Yeah, well… Fine! I don't want a nagging bitch like you to be my wife anyway! You go and marry that weenie! I don't care!" Yusuke jumped off the roof and kicked up dust, both angry and brokenhearted. _Stupid Keiko_.

---

Yusuke thought about long and hard as he went to New York along. How was Keiko able to see someone else and love them when he was still in love with her? All the girls he met were okay (_I guess… he had thought_.) but he still felt the room in his heart for Keiko.

_Normal life my ass_, he thought as he walked in the streets of New York City. _I'm still PO'ed after that. I feel like beating someone's face in right now…  
_  
Someone bumped shoulders with him. Yusuke didn't look back at them.

_That guy had a spooky aura… _he thought as he walked on. _Wait… I still feel him behind me. Is he following me or am I just paranoid?  
_  
Yusuke took a sudden turn but he still felt the aura. He took another and moved faster but the aura was still after him. He took another turn and another. The aura was still behind him.

_Okay, this bastard is following me! Last time I was in New York, you didn't get jumped for bumping into someone! _Yusuke ran into an alley.

"Okay, so what's with the following?" he asked. He examined the stalker closely. Whoever he was, he definitely didn't want to be noticed or recognized.

"Am I right in assuming you're Yusuke Urameshi?" the stalker asked.

"Depends on who's asking." Yusuke raised an eyebrow.

"I've heard talk you defeated the Brokers of Darkness single-handedly. You've also overcome a bout with the famous thousand year old fox Youko Kurama. Shinobu Sensui was also no challenge for you, was he?"

_Brokers of Darkness? That was Hiei! I was laying in the background bleeding to death! I was freaking out over Kurama being Youko Kurama! And Sensui… That was someone else. That Raizen guy…_ Yusuke thought before he said, "What you want me to kick your sorry ass, too?"

"Heh heh… You're not very bright are you?" He removed his hat to reveal his shining bald head and black eyes.

Yusuke stared in shock, his eyebrow raised. He burst out laughing. "You're… Heh! You should've left that hat on! No wonder you didn't want to be seen!"

"Silence child!" _He's just like Raizen. He did the exact same thing…_

"Okay, but really… Who are you?"

"Hokushin. I'm a powerful demon so don't think you could win with your Spirit Energy and fists alone. You see, what makes me special is that I have the most flexible body in Demon World." He demonstrated this by twisting his whole body into a spiral shape. "I can pick up a rock twenty miles away by stretching. Impressive?"

Yusuke looked at him like he was an idiot. "Well, that's dumb. Who would want to pick up a rock that's twenty miles away? There's plenty…"

"You're missing the point!"

"Okay! Geez! Second of all, how do you know me?"

"You know who Raizen is? He's an ancestor of yours."

_Bingo!_ "What else do you know?"

"I was sent to find you because Raizen… Is dying."

"Dying? How?"

"He stopped eating. He starved himself for seven hundred years. I don't understand why. Maybe he's insane?"

"How do you know all this?"

"I've helped Raizen for a while…" Something hit the back of his head with a loud "thud!"

"It's the other way around, buddy!" the attacker growled.

Yusuke looked at the passed out Hokushin and at the attacker.

He was a demon, that's for sure. He had long white hair that almost touched his ankles. His pointed ears poked out of his hair like knives. His there was a starving look in his black eyes and his pupils were thin like a cat's. He was slightly tanned and thin. He seemed like he was bending over all the time because of his height. (Yusuke would find out later that he never stood-or sat-up straight.)

The words fell from Yusuke's lips: "Are you… Raizen?"

"Raizen you say?" he asked. Drama… "I love Raizens! They're really good if you eat them with a lot of sugar! The only time they're horrible is when one of my friends tries to make them. If there's one thing they can't cook, it's Raizens."

"You dope! Those are raisins! You are Raizen!" Hokushin growled after he regained his consciousness only to be whacked unconscious again.

"Whatever," he growled. He raised an eyebrow at Yusuke and eyed him with curiosity. "Hm… A demon slayer. That's really ironic. A demon slayer with demon's blood in his veins."

Raizen poked Hokushin with his foot. "Well, down to business now. We'll have to make a run for it if we don't want this retard hanging around while we're talking."

"S… Sure…" Yusuke followed him out of the alley.

"Believe me, kid. You don't want to trust a guy who can stretch himself out or wants to grab a rock that's twenty miles away."

"That's true…" _This guy's kinda creepy though…He reminds me of… Well, me._

---

"So who are you?" Raizen asked.

"Who am I?" Yusuke repeated, not understanding what the demon meant. 'You don't know? I'm Yusuke Urameshi."

"I asked who you are, not your name."

"Okay you're asking weird questions. What's that mean?"

"What defines you? What makes you different from any other Yusuke?"

"My last name. My face. My middle name."

"…Other than that."

"Well what's that supposed to mean and where'd that come from? I'm…" He thought about what Keiko said before saying he was normal. _I guess I _am_ weirder… _

"I know someone in Boston who does the same thing. I think she passed it onto me. I'm starting to get convinced that Germans are always drunk even though she could take five glasses of beer and still be sober." He saw Yusuke staring. "What's turning in there?"

"It's nothing."

"…Was it a girl?"

Sigh. "Yeah."

"What'd you do? You realize that one of our hands is strictly used for scratching our balls and really shouldn't touch…"

"Forget it. And yes I know that already. Just for her! She's just a stupid bitch!"

Silence. Raizen gave him a long blank stare. "…So what's so special about New York anyway…? I always hear how great it is and I see nothing."

"There's the Statue of Liberty."

"That it?"

"I guess. I dunno! I've been in Mexico half my life. But hey, that pretty much makes New York's greatness. It's the whole symbol of the USA!"

"And it was built by a French man. How'd you end up in Mexico?"

"How'd you end up here when you got that girl in Boston?"

"It's not like you think. If I felt like I was turning blue, I still wouldn't do her. I don't think she's that attractive. Something told me something was going to happen here."

"As for me, Mom probably liked the food and figured she'd get more if she went there. I dunno."

"Why'd you become a demon slayer?"

"Why'd you stop eating?"

Silence. "I'll tell you later. So show me the greatness of New York I missed."

---

_Thinking back on everything… Why did I become a demon slayer? Wasn't it because of…? _He stared at Raizen who was poking a frog with a stick. _Yeah. I remember now… It was… _

Raizen jumped on Yusuke's back. "Surprise butt sex!"

"Augh! Bad Raizen! Bad! You're not supposed to do this kinda thing to me!" Yusuke waved his arms around. Once Raizen let him go, Yusuke growled, "What the hell, man?"

"You looked like you were thinking too hard. You can't turn the creaking wheels if they need oil. …That and I needed a laugh."

Yusuke shook his fist at the demon. "Anyway… Whatdya want?"

"…You're against slavery, right?"

"Have no say. Never thought about it. I guess I'm not for it."

"Then you'll get along with her just fine. She's so anti-slavery it's kinda creepy…" His voice went on.

_Man, this whole deal's crazy. First Kurama has to leave… Then Keiko… And now here's Raizen who can drop dead any second because he hasn't been eating. Then there's this weird German lady in Boston. Why doesn't he call her by her name? How'd I end up with this guy's blood anyway?  
_  
"You feeling okay?" Raizen asked.

"Yeah… Sure…" Yusuke replied absentmindedly. _What's going on here?_

**End chapter 26 **

Notes:  
1. Yusuke's birthday- I don't know his birthday. I heard someone say it was August fifth. Don't ask.

Sorry to any New Yorkers who got mad at Raizen. Actually, I'm not sure of any other landmarks that were in New York at this time… Yes, the Statue of Liberty was built by a French man. It was actually modeled by his mom…

I never realized how inappropriate the extra last time was. I mean, I come from a home where people make jokes connecting Star Wars and yaoi…. And for that I am kinda amused but…

Extra 9… I think… Yusuke's girlfriend.  
"You guys, this is all Keiko's fault!" Hiei yelled out.  
"Shut up, Hiei!" Yusuke growled.  
"Keiko's the one who pissed Yusuke off all because she's a big fat, stupid bi-"  
"Don't say it!"  
"Well…!"  
Keiko smacked Hiei."

XD Review please!


	27. Who Are You

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 27**

"Hey. I think I finally figured out the answer to that question you asked me earlier. You know the one about who I am?" Yusuke said.

"Okay. But that one's already been answered. I wanted to know why you wanted to be a demon slayer," Raizen replied.

"I'll tell if you tell me why you stopped eating. Equal exchange. So tell me."

"You tell me first. I asked you first."

"Fine... So... I was born when my mom was fifteen and I never saw my dad. I'm just assuming he's dead. Anyway... I used to live on the other side of town next to my friend. Then we went to Mexico when I was almost eight... When I was ten _something_ happened..."

"Hold on. Is that friend the girl who pissed you off?"

"Don't ask. We'll just not go into that. Anyway... When I was ten... I found a reason to become a demon slayer..."

**Flashback**

"What's wrong with Keiko?" ten year old Yusuke asked.

"She's really sick and needs to stay in bed. Why don't you play with your other friends?" Keiko's mom suggested, forgetting Keiko was Yusuke's only friend.

Yusuke frowned and opened the door to Keiko's room. _Probably just a cold..._ "I'm seeing Keiko anyway!"

"Wait! You might...!"

Yusuke stared at the creature in his friend's room. _That's not her getting sick... That's a demon!_

It was black like a shadow. Its golden, catlike eyes shifted between Yusuke and Keiko. Its claw was placed on her forehead. _He's sucking her life out!_

"_So young... So full of life..._" it hissed.

"Yusuke get out and close the door! We don't want you catching her flu!" Keiko's mom scolded him. "You might wake her up, too! She needs rest to get better!"

Yusuke's blood went cold. _She can't see it? She doesn't know? No! Keiko!_

"Go away!" Yusuke threw what he thought was a rock at the demon. "Leave Keiko alone!"

"_She runs low on life now... You'll suffice..._" the shadow hissed.

"No!" He threw something else at the demon again but it was only swallowed in its body.

"_Simple tactics like that won't hurt me you foolish child! You'll just be..._" It suddenly disappeared in a soundless explosion. Keiko shot up in bed, her eyes wide.

_What the... Was that... Holy water? Who randomly carries holy water?!_ Yusuke thought.

"What's going on?" Keiko finally asked.

"Praise the Lord! She's okay! It's a miracle!" Keiko's mom ran into the room, tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Keiko! I just remembered I had something to tell you! I decided I wanna be a demon slayer so you won't get hurt or anything!" Yusuke said cheerfully.

"O... Okay!" Keiko replied looking surprised.

**End flashback**

"So you did it because of her?" Raizen asked.

"Hey, at least it gave me something better to do than to kick people's asses. At least I don't need good grades for it either. Never went to school," Yusuke replied.

"...What's a grade?"

"It has to do with school. You don't need to know."

"...What's a school?"

"...You don't get out much do you?"

Long silence.

"Anyway..." Yusuke continued.

**Flashback**

"Come on! It's only a dumb lizard!" a boy teased twelve year old Keiko, holding a lizard to her face.

"Just get it away from me! That's gross!" Keiko tried to push his hand away from her.

"Hey, stop picking on Keiko!" Yusuke growled.

"Shut up, squirt! What're you gonna do about it anyway?" the other boy jeered.

"You're gonna have to say hi to Old Bobby and the Fire Avengers!" Yusuke held his fists up.

"He named his fists?!' the boy with the lizard raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go! He's weird!" the other boy ran away, his friend following.

"You named your fists?" Keiko laughed at him.

"Hey, it got them away, didn't it?" Yusuke said.

"I thought you wanted to be a demon slayer not a bully slayer."

"But it's almost the same thing almost. Demons and bullies basically use the same tactics. They both wanna bring you down so they can do what they want with you. But bullies just wanna see you cry."

_He's still into that _junk "Wow! That's really cool!"

"Yeah!"

**End flashback**

"I found out that she was just lying about the whole thing. She should have just said so, though. 'Cause now I'm just so..." Yusuke sighed. "Anyway... I met Kurama... A Few months ago. Didn't keep track. He's a nice guy. When I found out he was really Youko Kurama in a human body, I thought for sure he was gonna kill me but he accepted me even though I was a demon slayer. We need more people like that... And demons.

"Hiei... Hiei's a real interesting guy. I guess he accepts me for being a demon slayer since has hasn't done anything passed throwing death threats at me. That or he just got used to people like me. Can't say much about the guy. He's way too secretive. I think he might be gay... I think he likes Kurama... But then again... I think he told me he was bi... Whatever.

"Kuwabara's an exorcist I met a week after Kurama and Hiei. He's nice when he's not trying to exorcize something. I wonder what gets his panties in a bunch when he gets ready to work. I mean, it's like he's trying to work too hard to accomplish some goal... He loves Hiei's sister... Man, Hiei and Kuwabara would be crazy in-laws...

"Koenma's a priest. I got started doing demon slayer work with him. It was on my fourteenth birthday and well...

**Flashback**

_Man, I need to get away from Keiko! I mean everyday it's "Why don't you do your chores, Yusuke!"_ _and "Why are you running away from your chores, Yusuke?" God, doesn't she know what all work and no play does to a guy?!_

"And this is what you get for sleeping with my wife!" a voice broke into Yusuke's thoughts.

_Oh, crap! I think I just walked in the middle of a...!_ Yusuke got shot.

"Oh, hell! I just shot a kid! Wrong guy!" someone stood in the gunner's way so he couldn't get away.

"I suppose I just saw something a priest normally shouldn't see?" Koenma replied.

"He... But... I..." He turned to find the guy he was going to kill. No, he's gone...

"It's bad enough what he did to you but I doubt killing him would fix it. Let the last judgement take him." He turned to Yusuke. His eyes widened when he saw him get onto his feet.

"...Whoa. That was... Weird..." Yusuke said to himself as he got to his feet. He looked at the gunner and Koenma. "Oh, crap! I just ran into the middle of the gun fight!"

_He should be dead but he isn't... Way... That energy he has... It's not human... It's demonic..._ Koenma thought.

"Hey, have you considered being a demon slayer or an exorcist?" Koenma asked.

Yusuke's face lit up. "You can help me be one?!"

"Jumpy one, aren't you? Yeah. I'll help you do your training so you can do your job right..."

"Cool!" _I'm not sure why but I think there might be more to it..._

**End flashback**

"So I ended up being a demon slayer and met the guys and fought Sensui... But now we might never see each other again and the only way we can in through remembering..." Yusuke mumbled. "What if we didn't see each other until we forget about everything. It's just that...

"If I lose that... I'll lose everybody I love... Then it'll be back to the way it was before. Until I met those guys I never realized how long I've wasted my time. There's all those people that I should have met a long time ago but I wouldn't have known they existed without that bounty on Kurama... They gave me a reason to risk my life. But if I woke up one morning and my memories we all gone then I'll have nothing..." Yusuke sighed.

He turned to Raizen. "So what's your story old man? And furthermore, how'd I get your blood?"

"Killing to birds with one stone..." Raizen thought back. "I used to come and go between Demon World. At the time I decided to go to Japan because a friend of mine told me that the people there treated us like gods and actually allowed us to eat their enemies unlike here in America where they get scared no matter what you do. I just used them all as food regardless. I gained a reputation as a terror of Japan.

"I got through raiding a village. Apparently the people there were more prepared to face me than I gave them credit for. I stopped at some random place just to stay for the night but things didn't go as planned..."

**Flashback**

"Who's there?" a voice called from inside the temple.

Raizen looked for the source of the voice and found a woman staring at him. He hissed at her to intimidate her.

"You don't scare me, demon. Why are you here? Are you hurt?"

He was suddenly more aware of his wounds.

She smirked. "Are you hungry? Is that it?" She started to remove her kimono. "Go ahead."

He backed away.

"So it's the demon who fears the human, now is it? I guess you're just not monster enough..."

**End Flashback**

"Then what?" Yusuke asked.

"We made love," Raizen answered as if that was his greatest accomplishment in his life.

"Gross."

"You asked."

"...Should've figured... Next you'll tell me you were in an orgy..."

"What is with you and orgies?"

"They make me laugh! Quit asking! What's that have to do with you not eating?"

"...I couldn't. I couldn't do it knowing that she could have saved the life I was ending. I left because I knew it would never work. She saved lives and I ended them... I thought I would find a way out of starvation once I saw her again but I knew that it was a false hope. She would never be reincarnated; she was too enlightened... I heard she died in birth."

"And that girl in Botson? How'd you meet her?"

"...Honestly, I have no idea. Apparently I got into a fight at a bar because some guy made a dirty comment about me and she arrested me..."

Yusuke sighed and fell on the ground.

"I'm going back to Boston. Where are you going?" Raizen asked.

"I'll stay here in the NYC," Yusuke replied sleepily.

The white haired demon nodded and walked away.

_It doesn't..._ "Hey, wait up!" Yusuke ran after him. "You know what? I'm coming, too! The stretchy guy might come and put me in and orgy!"

"...You and your orgies..."

**End chapter 27**

Notes:

1. Yeah, I ended up changing some stuff about Raizen and... Lover. (I wish she at least had a name...) When I watched it in the anime, I wanted to skip to the less disturbing part... I dunno why but that creeped me out...

**Extra 10... I think...  
**"Then what?" Yusuke asked.  
"We..." Raizen started hacking and then coughed up a hair ball. "Sorry. Hair ball."  
"Enough with the hair ball jokes!"

I tried to make Raizen in-character but I really didn't get much of his personality... So I tried... Sorry to Raizen fans who were disappointed... If there are any out there. Next is Kuwabara! Cheers? Anyone? Anyone? (Crickets chirp) That's cold.


	28. Now and forever

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 28**

**December 13**

"Happy birthday, Kuwabara!" Okubo patted his friend on the back. "Man, fifteen! Where'd our time go?"

"School robbed us of our lives!" Kirishima whined dramatically, holding up a clutched fist.

"Lay of the sugar, man," Kamata said, an eyebrow raised and sweat dropping.

"Oh hey, Kuwa! Didn't you say you had a girlfriend?" Kirishima turned to his taller friend. This guy must get sugar high off life.

"Huh?" Kuwabara's mind was somewhere else.

"Come on! Your girlfriend! The one with the eyes like glimmering rubies and hair like a frosted mint! The snow princess with the beauty of a white rose in a light snowstorm lighted by silver moonlight and golden stars even though none of that makes sense and I never saw you as a poetic person. **_Re-mem-ber_?!**" He started screaming out random words in Japanese.

"…Calm down, man! You mean Yukina? What about my snow angel?"

"It's your birthday! Why don't you spend it with her?"

"I am! We're going on a date! In fact, I was gonna meet her now!" Complete lie.

""That why you're so moody?"

"I'm not moody! Guys don't get moody! You just… Ugh!" He ran away.

"Hey, why's he heading for the cemetery?"

"You don't know?" Kamata asked.

Kirishima shook his head.

"He goes to the cemetery on his birthday every year. He's visiting his mom. No one knows what happened to his dad but…" Okubo went on…

---

Kuwabara stopped in front of the gates of the cemetery. He leaned on them and thought about what happened that morning…

**Flashback**

"Kazuma, we talked it over. Yer aunt an' I want ya'll to stay in Houston with us," Kuwabara's uncle announced.

"Wha…? Why?" Kuwabara asked, ready to argue.

"We think yer sister needs to take it easy. Maybe go back to school. It's too much fer a seventeen year old girl to work and watch her brother."

"Did ya ask her about it?"

"Okay with it if you was. I believe you didn't get much schooling in Mexico neither. Ya'll can finish school here an' get a nice job an'…"

"I'm an exorcist. That's my job. I don't need school for it."

"Gosh dang it! Kazuma, give up yer exorcist stuff and get a _real _job. I don't want you tryin' to be like my damn brother!" Kuwabara's aunt growled.

"What's wrong with my pa? What'd he do that made you hate him so much, huh?" Kuwabara growled back.

"It's decided, Kazuma. Yer goin' back to school an' stayin' in Houston whether ya'll like it or not!"

"I'm not staying! I don't wanna! Ya'll can't make me!"

"Yes, I can mista! Now ya'll 're stayin' and that's final!"

"You…! Fine but ya'll won't like it!" Kuwabara stopped out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

_Kazu, you big idiot…_ Shizuru thought as she cooked breakfast.

**End flashback**

_I don't wanna go back to school. I'll be the dumbest one in class again… And on top of that, I'll never see Kurama or Yusuke or Yukina again. They'll probably make me get a stupid job, too and make me marry someone else. Why does everything have to start going down hill for me! I was actually enjoying Mexico and now…! And now... _Kuwabara thought as he banged a fist on the cemetery gate. _I wanna go back to Mexico and see the guys and Yukina again! This sucks!_

"Kazuma?" a soft voice called out to him.

Kuwabara looked to the right. "Yukina? What're you…?"

"I wanted to go look around for a while. I was looking for a home in Chicago but go sight seeing at the same time…."

"Why Chicago?"

"My father was from Chicago, or so I'm told… I thought maybe I could find my brother there. I was also thinking about going to live in California too…"

"It's getting pretty dangerous. You know how many times San Francisco burned down? And there's… What's it called? Edricksville or something like that. A day after it was built it got burned down."

"Yeah, but that should be fixed soon… What brings you here Kazuma?"

"I'm… L… Visiting here." _Ugh, I just reminded myself of…_

"Oh, did something happen?"

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"You seem moody."

"I'm not…! Am I really?"

"If you don't want to talk about it, then you could forget I asked…. Forgive me if you do."

_No! I can't forget about it! I'll have a break down if I do! Sis doesn't care. I can't talk it out with my aunt and uncle. The guys here won't get why I don't wanna stay in Houston with them. I can't go to Mexico to see everybody because that's my whole problem. _"I'm gonna hafta live here in Houston and I'll have to stop being an exorcist."

"Why? You don't seem happy about it…"

"My aunt planned it all out for me. But… But I wanna stay in Mexico. I wanna be just as great-or even greater-that my pa was as an exorcist. Y'know, to make him proud…"

"What about your mother?"

"…I… I never told anyone this so don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Cross my heart!"

"I… she died. She died giving birth to me. Sometimes I feel bad about it like it was all on purpose… When I found out about it, I started having nightmares and almost got possessed while I was asleep. Then I wanted to become an exorcist. I wanted to at least be as good as my pa or to even surpass him. I try. But I'm a failure. I'm still at one of the lowest ranks of exorcists. I'm not good at school. I'm not much good at anything. Ma, bless her soul, must be rollin' in her grave after finding out what a bad son I've been."

"Don't say that. You're trying and you'll get there. In fact, I bet in a couple of years, you'll be better than your father!"

Kuwabara turned back to the gates. "I'm gonna go see Ma…"

Yukina fell silent. "Can I…. Meet her then?"

---

_I wish I could remember you Ma. There's not much to hold onto. I feel like I lost too much. Now I can't see anybody. But if Kurama does go to San Francisco for good…. Ugh. I doubt they'll let me see him…_ Kuwabara thought as he walked to his mother's grave.

"Here," Kuwabara crouched in front of it. There was a long, awkward silence for a few moments.

"You know, I don't know my mother either," Yukina said to break the silence.

"Huh?"

"When my brother was born everybody wanted him dead except my mother."

"Why?"

"My mother was an Ice Maiden. All ice maidens are girls, you see. They wouldn't allow any men to be there… So they got rid of my brother right when they found out about him. My mother's friend, Rui, told me that when my brother was thrown off the edge of Ice World, my mother killed herself."

"So… Don't you think he would be dead, I mean, he was thrown off a cliff right?"'

"Well, sort of… But despite that, I think my brother might have lived through it."

Kuwabara stared at her.

"…The silent one. His name is Hiro, right?"

"Hiei? What about him?" _And he is _not _silent._

"Oh, well…"

"Gasp! Yer not developing a crush on him, are you?! He's a mean little shrimp, you know! And…" Eye shift. "I think he might be… Kinda… Funny. 'Cause I've seen him look at Kurama pretty funny…"

She giggled a bit. "I find him funny, too."

"No, I don't mean ha-ha funny! I mean the other funny that's kind of funny but not funny at the same funny but amusing for some really strange women funny! That funny!"

Long blank stare. "I don't follow you."

'Okay…" Kuwabara turned to the grave. "Hey, Ma. So this is the fifteenth time…. Wait. I missed you eight times… Well, I was in Mexico since Shizuru's friend brought us to live with her there. I don't know how that works out but… I met three guys there. There was a demon slayer named Yusuke. It was kinda hard to believe it at first but I guess he has his reasons for it. I think he's in New York right now. And then there's Kurama… Well, he's kind of odd but… I found out he was the fox thief Youko Kurama. I was surprised but that explains what happened when I put that stuff on him to protect him from demons. That also explains his demonic aura. It's weird to think he could act kind to an exorcist like me or a demon slayer like Yusuke. Guess he's just kind at heart. And Hiei…. I can tell he had it bad as a kid. I mean, who carries a sword and a gun around at the same time? That or he's just destructive.

"This girl here is another one of my friends. Her name's Yukina. She's really polite and, um, knows healing! Uh… Well, she's trying to find her brother. She told me that they were separated when their ma had to get rid of her brother. She's from some demons called Ice Maidens and since they're all girls they had to get rid of him and stuff. You know… I think he might be out there, too. So ma… If you can… Make sure an angel comes to Yukina so she can get help finding her brother."

There was a long silence before spoke again. "Well, I had a lot of fun in Mexico. That is 'til everybody had to go. Now… Auntie wants me to stay in Houston and go to school and give up bein' an exorcist. So I'll never see them again. Shizuru doesn't care either way… I can't talk Auntie out of it because you know how she is. Makes a mule seem like it could get convinced easily. I don't wanna give up being an exorcist because that's the only thing that I've been able to do good. I dunno why… Maybe it… I dunno…. Well, it's gonna be a long year comin' up. I'll work it out later. Who knows? I'll try my best to get good grades this time. I guess I gonna get started studying cause I missed a lot of school….

"Anyway. I hope you're having a great time up there. I'll see you next year then…"

"Hello, Mrs. Kuwabara. Your son's doing well. I wanted to tell you that I'm sure he'll be one of the greatest exorcists in almost two years. And he'll be one of the top students in his school…. So… Maybe he needs a little help and guidance to make it there," Yukina smiled as she spoke.

Kuwabara stared at her again, surprised at Yukina's enthusiasm.

"You know… I bet she's smiling at you from heaven right now."

"Huh?" Kuwabara held out a hand. "A snowflake…? Wow. It's early for snow….. I remember my uncle told me my ma loved snow and was happy when I was about to be born because it was close to winter time."

"I like snow, too. I kinda miss it since it's so hot in Mexico…." She held out a hand to catch the snowflakes. "Winter's a really nice part of the year. Christmas would be coming so everyone is happy and all the families are coming together…"

"Yeah…."

"Hey, maybe one year all of our friends could come together and we could all celebrate Christmas together. I've never celebrated with my family before…"

"Yeah. That'd be great. I'm with you through the whole thing."

---

**Meanwhile…**

"Whoa! She is pretty!" Kirishima gasped.

"…Why are we watching?" Okubo asked. "I feel like a stalker."

"The lack of better things to do," Kamata replied with a sigh.

**End chapter 28 And to all a good night.**

Notes:

1. I don't know Kuwabara's real birthday. I'm serious. Sorry Kuwabara fans.  
2. Edricksville- A reference to my home town. In this time, it used to get burned every year. Same with SF. Or course, it's not Edricksville any more. In fact, I doubt that's what it used to be called.

Extra 11: Heroes Reference!!  
Kurama was on the phone with Yusuke. "Yusuke! I saw you come from the future! You told me to Save the cheerleader. Save the world. …And you had a sword."  
On the other line Yusuke turned to Kuwabara. "I came from the future. I told Kurama to save the cheerleader. Save the world. But more importantly, I had a sword!"

Weird chapter. It was written on paper while I had state testing if that compensates for it. I doubt Kuwabara comes in that much after this. Since this chapter he only appears once so far…. Yeah. Next we are back to Hiei and Kurama! But no BL-ness! (Shonen ai is the incorrect term for this. This is BL because Kurama and Hiei are NOT little kids. But slash is actually a more correct term but I don't care...)

Review please!


	29. Dream Worth Keeping

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 29**

**September 25**

It had been bothering Kurama for a while. There was a scar on Hiei's chest. He never knew it was there before but… He never saw Hiei get injured on the chest and it couldn't have been from work on the field.

_Come to think of it, didn't the war just end? And didn't he say something about being in the war? But would he really let an American soldier get him that easily? But what could it be?_ Kurama thought.

"Ho there, Shuichi! The earth says hello!" Jin cheered with his trademark wide grin crossing his face.

"Oh, um, hi, Jin!" Kurama stuttered keeping his mind on other things…

"Don't 'Oh, um, hi, Jin' me! What's wrong with Kurama?"

"Nothing. Just wondering about something…"

"Something? There's lots of somethings to wonder about! Like how the giant cheese in the sky called the moon got up there and…. And how Touya's hair can stand to be so flat! And how my eyebrows get so funny!"

"Uh… I was wondering about Hiei's scar."

"Scar? Which one? Hiei has tons and tons of scars! Ones on the top of his head and back and eyes and ears and ones right where his eyebrows would be if he had any!"

And just like a ninja, Touya appeared out of nowhere. "What're you all conspiring about now?"

"Kurama's asking me about Hiei's scars!" Jin replied, waving his arms around like he was trying to fly or something.

"Scars? Hiei has a lot of scars. Ones on his chest, his back, probably on his arms and legs."

"And on the back of his head!"

"He'd die if he got one on the back of his head."

"Not in my world!"

"Your head's as hard as a rock. What do you expect?"

"Not funny!"

"But why?" Kurama asked.

"People used to beat him. It's almost a rule here that if you're a demon people have to beat you at one point out of fear. Hiei never had the courage to turn the tables on them as a kid. He just never convinced them that he had a heart."

"What happened?"

"Well, it was his first day here. Everybody ganged up on him and started beating him and then this guy brought out an axe on him. Got him in the chest. I helped him out of it."

_An… Axe?!_ Kurama gasped in his head. _That's… No wonder he doesn't like people that much!_

"Nya… You guys are making Jin remember bad things… He feels bad now…." Jin whined. He tugged on the sleeve on Touya's shirt. "Touy-yaaaaaaaaa…. Why'd you come here? Jin wants to know…. Touy-yaaaaaaaa…."

"A friend in Chicago asked about Hiei and I wanted to take Hiei with me to introduce them," Touya answered.

"Really? Who's your friend! Jin wants to knooooow…."

"He doesn't want me telling people. So... On another note…" He turned to Kurama. "I think you can go back to California. I saw bounty hunters on the way here. They looked PO'ed because they said the guy they were after was innocent now. If you stay, I dunno what they'll do."

"Oh. Uh…." Kurama looked in the direction Hiei's house was in.

_Poor kid. He's attached to us already but he knows he's gotta go home. Know how that feels too well…_ Touya thought.

"Oooh! Oooh! Jin wants, to come, Touya! Jin wants to come!" Jin jumped up and down.

"When I get more to drink," Touya replied sarcastically. "When everybody goes, you're supposed to entertain the town. **Cool?**"

"Oh. Okay! Ho there, town!" Jin started singing an Irish drinking song.

Hiei walked to the three, an eyebrow raised. "Do I have to ask?"

"Do I have to answer?" Touya sweat dropped.

"Ready when you are." He looked at Kurama as if he were expecting him to burst out in tears, grab him by the ankles, and beg him for gay sex. But hey, Hiei's bi. We'll all assume he'll enjoy that.

"…Have fun." The words dropped from Kurama's lips. (For some reason Hiei was slightly relieved but also slightly disappointed.)

"Heh." Hiei and Touya walked away.

_What was that just now?!_ Hiei thought. _It felt a lot like this:_

"_Okay, honey, take care of the house while I'm gone!" the Hiei-husband waved to the Kurama-house wife- er, husband? - with a smile._

"_Okay!" Heart. Smooch._

_That was oddly disturbing…. And that's saying a lot since I'm bi…_

"You miss him already?" Touya joked.

"Whatever!" the younger man growled.

---

**Chicago (October 8, 1849)**

"Oh, hey! Touya's back!" Juri, pretty much the biggest slut in the whole fanfic to be honest with you, announced. _Ooh. And he brought a hot guy with him…_

The Risho used his only line in the fanfic to complain. "You brought that guy! He kills people! And I don't like people like that!"

"Shut up, Pinocchio! You fail at life, you retarded…. Whatever you are! Who asked you anyway?!" Hiei growled.

Then Bakken decided to waste his only line, too. "Oh! I like this guy! He talks big but you could hold him in the palm of your hand and blow him away in one breath!"

And Natsume decided to talk just be heard. "Bakken, shut up before you get beat up for the twentieth time in a row. No one wants to pick your muscle head up."

"Indeed. He'll make sure you'll bleed, too," Touya added.

"Wow…. You're pretty cute…" Juri, started hanging on Hiei, something that was pretty hard considering the difference in their heights. "A lot like your father. Like father, like son…. Bet you screw like him, too."

Hiei smacked her in the face. "And another thing. I have no code of chivalry so I'm, not afraid to hit a girl."

"YEAH KICK HIS SORRY BUTT!" Kokou screamed. "Man, I am _so_ drunk… Heh heh…"

"I'm gonna need another drink…" Juri mumbled, disappointed.

"Things are really lively here…." A guy in the shadows said cheerfully as he stepped into the light. He smiled. "You'll get used to it if you don't lose your head."

He had sandy hair that fell to his knees tied back loosely. He had large, round ocean blue eyes that was filled with tranquility. He looked to be about eighteen.

"I'm going…" Hiei growled after realizing who he was.

"Don't go! Is it because you think I'm gay?" he asked.

"No."

"Was it because of Juri? Don't mind her? She's just a prostitute looking for some business!"

"No."

"Oh, come on eleven years apart and this is how you great a guy? What happened to the nice kid you used to be?"

"He's dead like you, John."

"Dead? I'm not… What gave you that idea?"

"Those guys in Chicago killed you."

"No they didn't. I think shock screwed you up, kid. They stabbed me in the stomach but all that happened was that I fainted cause they scared the crap out of me. They were coming after you but I tried to stop them. They 'killed' me to get to you. They wanted you dead…"

The door to the bar swung open. "Hey, I'm back."

"Perfect timing, man. Your favorite son's here," Touya greeted the person who came in

It was Hiei's father. He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? That's my only son. …Or I hope so anyway."

"Exactly."

"Whoa! They're like twins! I gotta take another drink and fix this problem!" Kokou chugged down another glass and fainted right after she finished.

"Right… So which one was your mom again?" Hiei's dad asked Hiei.

"H…" he was interrupted.

"Hilary, Helga, Helen, Harriet, Haley, Hisui, Hiro, Hi… ka? No, I know this one…"

"HINA, YOU DOLT!"

"Right, right. And uh…. You're Hiro, right?"

"It's Hiei you fucktard."

"Sure. Is that all I need to know about?"

Hiei got up and started to walk away.

"Hey, where're you going?" John asked.

"I'm goona find my sister. Rather go…" Hiei was interrupted.

"You have a sister?!" Hiei's dad gasped.

"Yeah but you ain't touching her!"

"Why would I want to? I'm not into that incest crap."

"Better not, you sick asshole."

Hiei's dad sighed. "I need a smoke." He pulled a pipe out of his pocket.

"Hey, we're going to Boston, you going?' John asked.

"Why're you going?" Hiei asked.

"We like to mess with this guy over there…. Thing is we usually get something shot. I almost lost a finger last time we came…"

"Depends. Is this man whore coming?" Hiei growled.

His dad puffed smoke into his face, causing Hiei to cough.

"It's not all bad, kid. You just gotta poke fun at the guy and then run like hell." John laughed. "Besides that, we could use the time to catch up.

"Sure." Hiei sighed.

---

"So let's jump straight to it, then. What's with the bandana on your head? You have brain damage or something?" John asked, half joking.

Hiei remembered the Jagan Eye. "I hit my head on something the other day. My forehead's all purple and if anyone sees it they might think I'm gay."

"You mean you're not?"

Death glare.

"I kid, I kid!"

"Bastard."

"Ugh. Anything else before you go on pouting?"

"…You hear anything about a Shuichi Minamino?"

"A who? Never heard of him. Why? Is he a friend? …Or a lover?"

"Oh, screw you."

"Come on, it's a joke. Laugh with me!" He walked out.

_God, John's drinking more than ever. I can tell. Used to be a great guy to be around. What happened?_

---

**Boston, Massachusetts**

"This is boring…." Hiei sighed.

"No, we'll get to the fun part soon," Hiei's dad replied. "What was that guy's dumb name again? Eikenberry?"

"Yeah. Told me it was Von Eikenberry. Sounds like a vampire," John replied.

"Heh, I can bury what?"

A gunshot was head. "I'll bury you if you keep that up!"

Hiei fell to his knees. _He got me in the leg! Shit!_ _Damn you!_

He fainted before he saw who shot him…

**End chapter 29**

Notes:  
1. Didn't the war just end? - Reference to the Mexican War.  
2. Juri, Risho, Bakken, Kokou, Nastume- Juri was the second announcer in the Dark Tournament. Risho was the captain of the team whose name I can't remember in the Dark Tournament. Bakken was the bastard who beat up on Kurama while he passed out. Kokou was Enki's wife from the Three Kings saga. Natsume was one of Raizen's sparring buddies from the Three Kings saga. None of these people are all that important.  
3. Hiei's dad- I can't give him a name since I don't know his real name. Someone says it's Hiei and Hiei's a junior. Poor guy.  
4. Eikenberry- pronounced like "I can bury". It's German. Don't ask.

You can probably guess who this person is. Yeah. I kinda rushed. Sorry…. I'll slow down next chapter. So you can laugh at my try to make this person sound British….

Extra 11: Gravitation Reference  
Hiei growled, "Is this man whore coming?"  
Shuichi Shindo frowned at him. "What was that?"

Please review!


	30. Spicy Marmalade

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 30**

"Come on! I've been in here all year! How bout we switch?"

"Okay, okay. I got this one but you know you gotta come back on Sundays."

"You speak the obvious..." A door closed.

Hiei awoke with a sharp pain in his leg. He looked around to find the source of the vioces but saw he didn't recognize where he was. The he remembered the day before and frowned at the bars of his cell. He was arrested! He glared at the captor who was staring back at him with amusement, a pistol in one haand and, oddly enough, a slice of apple pie in the other.

He was a strange looking guy, that was for sure. He had narrow ocean blue eyes that were cold as ice. His hair appeared to be a rust red in this light (In different light it looked orange). It covered the right side of his face for some reason and fell at his chin. Though his overall expression looked amused, he still looked as if he were brooding. He was also pale, almost a sickly white.

"So you're finally out of hiberation?" he asked sarcastically in his German and British accented voice.

"Then hell was that just now? You sound like a vampire on opium," Hiei growled.

"And you don't sound any better. We're even now. Let's see..." He put the pie down and dug through his papers on a desk in front of the cell. "Let's see. Records say you'r name is..." He struggled to say Hiei's name. "H... Hi... Hiei Jaganshi...?"

"What the hell, you retard! It's not pronounced like 'Ee-I! It's pronounced like Hee-ey! Hee-ey! With the H to! Say it with me, h! H! H!"

"That's what I said. I skip the H a lot. And if you don't like the way I pronounce your name, don't go to Germany. They'll prounounce it like that." He went back to the pie.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Mukuro Eikenberry. I'm the one who arrested you."

"Bastard! And why am I the only peron in here and quit eating in front of me!"

"I fail to see how those two connect. One, I keep Boston in good shape. Two, I'm just hungry right now. Deal with it."

"If I sweet talk, you would you let me out?"

"If I let you out for sweet talking me, Botson would be overrun by criminals."

"You're a dirty bastard!"

"That's the way the law works, my friend." He flopped on a chair. "Looks like rain today."

_I hate this guy so much..._ "Why're you covering up half our face? Got an eye problem?"

"I'm sure you have a mental problem."

"Are you gay?"

"No, I'm not. Not sure about you."

"I'M NOT GAY! I'M BI! BI! THERE'S A DIFFERENCE!"

_Ugh... Kirin doesn't know how easy he got it. Every time this guy opens his mouth my head starts hurting even more..._ Suddenly Hiei threw his gun at Mukuro and hit him on the right side of his face.

"Bloody hell! What the hell is wrong with you, you bloody savage?!" He put a hand on the right side of his face which now started to bleed. "Bloody hell..."

"You like that word don't you?"

"Shut it," Mukuro growled as he walked out of the room.

_Serves you right, you asshole._ Hiei thought.

---

The next day Hiei was surprised to see Mukuro gone. Instead he was replaced by a gray skinned demon with gray hair that was almost a white. His South Carolina accented voice was muffled by a strange mask on his face. This was Kirin who never becomes important.

"Where's the other guy?" Hiei asked, sounding like he was whining.

"He's at home. He never comes to work on Sundays," Kirin replied.

"Why?"

"I dunno. He told me it was because he's Jewish or something of that nature."

"He's Jewish?"

"Yeah. Now stay quiet and we'll get along fine."

---

Another day passed and Mukuro was back again, only more cautious with Hiei.

"Hey. How long am I gonna get stuck in here?" Hiei whined as he hung on the bars.

"Mm... Well, let's see..." He looked up from his news paper. "First you killed people from Chicago til you got to the border. That's about twenty years to life, I'd say. Then you were going to rob some place with JJ Thompson and... I forget his side kick's name. That should be five years. By my judgement, I'd say about forty years. No, make it a hundred. Miss out on all the revolutions. So you'd be out in... Mm... 1949. That's a pretty good year. I think that might be a year I'll finally get married."

"I'll get stuck with a freak like you forever?"

"Hey, you don't know how easy you're getting it. You're sitting here in a cell screwing around when there's people half your age working their asses off out in a cotton field."

"Do you always say crazy shit like that to people?"

"How do you know I'm not? Furthermore are you sure you're not crazy and not mad to see someone take your place in a sane world? Or maybe we're all crazy."

"...How do crazy ass people like you get a job? I'm sure I've got all the screws in my head fixed right and I'm here in the fields."

"There are people out there willing to work in the fields if it keeps the from getting killed by a slave owner."

"...Yeah, but if I get stuck here a hundred years, I'll miss you every Sunday. My butt was lubricating _just for you._"

Mukuro looked disgusted. He sighed, grumbled something in German under his breath, and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"With that being said, I'm outta here," Hiei said as he pulled out the keys he snatched from Mukuro as his back was turned. _What's this guy's deal? I bet he's secretly gay and planning his attack... Actually that won't be bad at all. He's actually kinda... What am I saying?! He's got a screwed up eye and he's fricking nuts!_

He noticed a bucket left by the door. _Okay, why is there a bucket in here...? Hm... Payback time._

---

_He wasn't here. How disappointing._ Mukuro thought as he turned the door knob. _Wait, it's already open. Must be my... What's that...?_

"BLOODY HELL!" Mukuro stumbled to Hiei's cell, rubbing his head. "You bastard! That was you, wasn't it?!"

"Yeah. And now this is the part where I beg for my life and say, 'Please Mr. I-can-bury-some-really-neat-stuff, don't kill me after my butt was lubricating just for you!' And then you'll say, 'You're a sick man, Ee-I."

"Listen you, give me the keys and I won't pull anything rash on you. You don't wanna deal with me when I'm drunk."

"You're drunk on duty! What kind of cop are you?!"

"...One of a kind. It runs in the family."

"You smart ass bastard..."Hiei grabbed him by the shirt so the two could look into each other's eyes. "Wait... What the..."

"Don't touch me," he shoved Hiei into the cell after taking the keys from him.

---

Two weeks drifted away. Hiei felt like this was his life from beginning to end. He almost forgot what happened before his arrest just like his previous arrest.

"How long've I been stuck with you?' HIei asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Two weeks and three days. Not letting you out til you give me an explanation..." Mukuro replied, still sucked into the newspaper.

"I didn't do nothing! I was with the guys and you shot me. There! That good enough?"

"They all say that. Even the ones who kill in front of everybody."

"Godammit. I've been caught by the biggest freak in Boston. Someone must be out to get me..."

Mukuro sighed and shook his head. It was silent for an hour.

_For some reason it reminds me... _Mukuro began to sing. "Go down Moses, 'way down to Egypt Land..."

Hours passed before he realized he fell asleep. He looked around in the now dark room to see Mukuro was also sleeping. Hiei reached for the keys and let himself out.

_He doesn't keep Boston in good shape, he leaves they keys where they could get grabbed..._ Hiei stood in front of the sleeping man and rolled up his sleeve. _The hell?_

---

Mukuro awoke that morning feeling like he was molested. He sleeves were rolled up. His shirt was partially unbuttoned. His hair was messier than he thought it should be. As he buttoned his shirt, he grumbled how his job was depriving him of a good night's sleep. He saw Hiei leaning on the bars, a smug look on his face.

"What's your problem? Constipated?" Mukuro asked.

"Tell me Eikenberry. What kind of jobs can women get?" Hiei asked.

"Mm... Last time I checked it was as teachers and on the Lowell Mills. And nuns if you count that as a job."

"So how'd you get yours?"

"Went to school, applied and the guy hired me. I fail to see your point."

"Ain't you a little... Curvy to be a man?"

"Cur...? How so?"

"Men don't grow breasts," Hiei poked Mukuro's chest.

Mukuro slapped his hand. "Okay, so I am a woman. What's your problem?"

"Why'd you pretend to be a man for so long?"

"If I wanted to be a brain dead bimbo, I would stay that way. Now you see what I have to do."

"Whatever. Where're you from?"

"Born in Boston. You?"

"Born in Demon World but I happened to drift to Illinois. Good old Chicago."

"Oh." _Now we're getting something from him..._ "What else?"

"Nothing to tell. I'll get you your freedom if you give me mine."

"I am free. Born and raised as much as I can be."

"Your shackles." He opened the cell. "You forgot to lock this by the way." He grabbed Mukuro by the wrist. "Stay still now."

"What are you pulling?"

He thrust his sword on the shackle only causing sparks to fly and slicing her arm.

"You asshole!" She tried to pull her wrist away. "And let go!"

He pulled her forward and kissed her.

"What... What the hell are you doing?! Bloody freaking hell!" She smacked the smaller man and shoved him back into the cell. "Another stunt like that and I'll kill you."

"Bite me."

"Shut it. Blimey."

---

"Whoa! Fifth glass! How do you do it Mukuro?!" Raizen gasped. "You're not drunk yet?"

"You're drunk and you haven't touched the stuff?" Yusuke asked.

"He gets drunk off air," Mukuro replied.

"Both of you need to lay off the mushrooms."

**End of chapter 30**

Notes:  
1. Mukuro's speech- In some parts of England the H is skipped. (Britain is England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and whatever the name of the county is the Welsh come from. I forget.) I already mentioned the German speech.  
2. Who is Kirin?-In the anime he was formally Mukuro's second in command before Hiei took his spot. I bet he was jealous... lol  
3. "Go down Moses..."- A song from the South that originated from the slaves. If it offends anyone tell me and I'll delete it.  
4. Lowell Mills- a textile factory in Massachusetts.

Well another fun update. Uh... Lack of things to say... Mukuro just looked German to me. If she were from any country I bet she'd be from Germany. I dunno why. I liked British accents when this was written too... I put it together without realizing Germany and Britain were enemies at this time. But all the countries of Europe were competing what with land in Africa and all that right now... Imperialism.

Square dancing in Pe. Not fun. I get stuck with guys with sweaty hands.

Shutting up. Please review, my friends.


	31. Solitude of a Falling Star

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 31**

**Two months later…**

"Okay, we might as well get this over with so we can get out of each other's hair and move on with the rest of our lives," Mukuro said as she finished off her pie.

"You make me spew…." Hiei growled. "Yet you make me hungry. Pull away from the pie, lady."

"Look you… From as far as you remember what happened? As a kid, I mean."

Hiei stared at her and leaned back onto the wall of the cell… The memories poured into his mind. "As far back as I can remember? All of it?"

"Yeah. Tell me what you remember."

"Well, I remember being born… I understood what they were saying back then… It was…. Just…"

**Flashback…**

Hiei's mother Hina just gave birth to twins. She heard her friend let out a whimper.

"Rui? What's wrong?" Hina asked her.

"…It's just that… Hina… You… You had a boy…" Rui was dumbfounded. "How… T… That man you mentioned… You didn't happen to…?"

"But… You'll… I can't kill him…. He's my son…"

"But he'll grow violent. He'll kill you later. Haven't you heard the stories? That's why we're up here, Hina! How could you...?"

"Rui… Don't tell! Please!"

Rui buried her face into her hands. It was the law that there were to be no men in Ice World but Hina was her friend. Could she break the law for her? Would she have to tell the village leader? "…I… I can't…"

She ran out. But things took a huge turn for the worse. Word got out that Hina had a son.

"Did you hear? Hina had twins. And one is a boy!"

"A boy! That's impossible!"

"She must have gone to the outside!"

"That whore!"

Hina held the child to her chest when she was ordered to kill her son. "I can't do it… You can't make me…"

"You have. You know the law and you broke it. You know the punishment." The village leader said back.

"No, please! I… I'll leave Ice World. Both of us!"

"That bastard child of yours will kill you before you know it. Rui, you've known her since childhood. Do it for her." She pointed a bony finger at Rui.

Rui held out her arms hesitantly.

"Please don't…" Hina pleaded.

'Rui, do it," the leader growled.

_Against the law or against my friend… Why do I get into these positions…? _"I… I'm sorry…" Rui mumbled almost to a whisper. She took the necklace she had and gave it to the boy. She stared at him, feeling tears come to her eyes. _Hina's own flesh and blood…_

"Rui, do not pity the beast," the village leader growled.

"….Please… If you ever live through this, kill me. Kill all of us… In return for what I've done…" she mumbled. Hina's son was dropped.

"No!" Hina screamed. "You killed my son!"

"I… I'm sorry!" Rui fell to her knees.

---

**Chicago, Illinois (1823)**

"Hey, JJ! Get the hell out! Yoshiki's planning somethin' and he says you can't join in if you're all wet!" Hiei's dad cried to the fox in the lake.

"What? I don't need to hold his damn hand! Tell him I said screw him!" John growled.

"I'm not his messenger. Tell him yourself! 'Sides that I don't wanna face his wrath. You know what he does to me every time you say this crap? What're you doing in the lake anyway?"

"Number one, if you're not his messenger why are you telling me what he's planning? Two, I'm sweating like a pig. I can't go around smelling like sweat."

"God, you act like such a rich boy when you do this kind of crap."

Ignore. "Why're you still here?"

"I'm not going til you get out."

John kicked the water at him. He froze when he felt something hit the back of his leg. "What the…?"

"You dirty bastard!" Hiei's dad flipped him off. "I swear when you get out, I'll murder you! And those better not be your clothes you sick…!"

"Shut up you walking match!" John picked up the strange object. "What…? HOLY HELL!"

"WHATWHATWHAT!!!" Hiei's dad started waving his arms around like he was trying to fly or something.

"Hey, man…. You know that Hina girl you used to see?"

"Yeah. She was fine. Why? Don't tell me she shrunk! You can't screw a girl who's tiny!"

"Is that all you think about? I was saying… You've got a son…"

Long blank stare.

John sighed and carried the bundle to him. "You're a father."

Deer in the headlights look.

"Can you not tell?! He looks just like you!"

"Okay! You don't need to yell!" He poked his son's belly. "Whoa! This is cool! He's gotta little pot belly! Kid needs to calm down. He's chewing on my finger."

"He'll stop after he finds out that's your 'Squeezing' hand."

"Shut it, fox."

---

The years went on. John ended up taking Hiei as his son since his father never spent enough time with him. Hiei's dad tried to deny he had a son but John reminded him everyday.

"Listen, man. Yoshiki's getting pissed that you're blowing him off for a kid," Hiei's dad said.

"Well, tell Yoshiki I will once he removes his head from his ass. He's also a coward if he has you tell me everything. If he's man enough to be a thief ain't he man enough to face me. I don't bite much," John replied arms crossed.

"He's sick of your crap and frankly, I am too."

"Well, maybe if you watched your son, then maybe this might not be happening. I do want to hang out with you guys but I've gotta watch your kid. If I left him in your hands he won't know what it's like to have a least one parent around. If you didn't sleep around so much maybe this wouldn't be happening. I have a heart."

"Okay, maybe I am a little selfish…"

"A little?"

"Shut up and hear me out. I'm not so bad. I just wanna do what Yoshiki says. He's really scary when he's mad… You gotta big heart man. If you have the courage to stand up to him… I'm not saying this cause I want the kid to die. I.… You're my buddy. Since we was about fourteen and…. If you die now then it'd be too damn painful. I want you to live."

"You know, you're a real liar. I hate you cause you can pull shit like this with a straight face. Yoshiki can go to hell. And you too…" John stomped out.

Hiei stumbled in after eavesdropping. "You're not smart, are you?"

Hiei's dad glared at him. _On second thought, it wouldn't be so bad without this little monster around…_

---

John was forced to go to New York with Yoshiki. They had several fights over Hiei having to come along but they still tolerated each other through the whole thing. But it was all shattered that day…

BANG! Then came the sound of crying.

John froze. "Hiei?"

"John…" Hiei's dad whispered. "Don't…"

The fox ran out.

"Damn this man…" He ran after him down the stairs. He crashed into the fox when they reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked past the shorter man's head and saw a bloody body on the floor. It was the same one who was supposed to watch Hiei.

"Hiei…?" John walked to the five year old and held him in his arms in an attempt to comfort him. "Stop crying and tell me what happened…"

"Oh that is it!" Yoshiki screamed as he shoved Hiei's dad out of the way. "JJ get your damn fox ass away from the damn kid! I'm taking him out of his misery!"

No answer.

The thief fired his pistol twice- one missing and the other grazing John's arm. "Get away from him damn it!"

"You kill him, you kill me." John untied his hair. "Try me. You don't wanna mess with a half demon. They can be as bad as a demon."

Yoshiki frowned.

"Fire you coward!"

It all ended with John losing…

---

John was limping on his way back to Chicago but it was tolerable for him. Hiei only knew it was his fault that John was suffering and maybe it might be his fault John would die.

"I want that kid away from me," Yoshiki growled.

"I'll take him to my sister in Boston," John replied coolly.

'Away means out of my city, out of my state, out of my country. Take him to some orphanage in Mexico."

"What's wrong with Boston?"

"He dies or goes to Mexico. Choose."

John frowned and was ready to argue but he knew he was already too deep. "Mexico. Sounds nice. I'll see you…"

"You'll see me when you come back. You ain't leaving fox. You got your punishment to serve. You can't see him til you do your time."

"How long?"

"Two years but I'll make it ten if you ask again."

_Hopeful…_ John thought as he took Hiei away to Mexico where he would meet Koenma and Ruka…

---

"You hear? There's a new kid in town."

"Yeah. Where's this one from?"

"America. I heard the teacher say he killed someone in some New York place."

"Whoa! Cool! I gotta meet this kid!"

"Hey!" the teacher growled. "Okay we have a new student. He's from America and apparently knows very little Spanish…. Um… His name is Hiei Jaganshi."

Hiei frowned. _It's pronounced Hiei Jaganshi, you ass wipe, not whatever that was just now. I mean… Ee-ei Hohanshi? The hell is wrong with these people?_ He looked at the class. He saw some were looking disgusted. Why?

A boy stood up. "Demon! Another one!"

Someone threw a book at Hiei.

"Hey!" the teacher wrapped his knuckles with a ruler. "I know he's a demon but he doesn't really… Er, kill…" _Good Lord forgive my stupidity…_ "Um… Hiei, sit next to him…."

_I think I'm getting the bad part of it…_

---

As Hiei got out of school, someone threw something at him. "Another demon! What have we done to be tormented like this?!"

A woman smacked him with a broom.

_What's going on?! I just started walking and they're trying to kill me!_

Then a man came and slashed Hiei across the chest with an axe.

Then a whistle was heard and Hiei felt something cold go by him.

"I dunno what worse. Demons attacking mob or mob attacking demon who did no wrong," a Chinese accented voice said. Hiei passed out before heard more.

"…turned my back on this town for a second and they already caused this much trouble! Damn people…"

Hiei opened his eyes and looked around. Koenma was yelling at Ruka…

"Oh! You finally up!" a voice that wasn't Koenma's said. It was that same Chinese accented voice from before.

Hiei looked around for the source of the voice.

"Up here!"

Hiei gasped. _How'd he get up there?! He's on the ceiling._

Thirteen year old Touya jumped down from the ceiling. "Don't worry about that. You get used to that. I Touya. And I save you from the village rocks. You American, right? My English very bad. My Spanish too. It get better… Don't you know how shake?"

"Shake? You mean….?" He started to shake. "This?"

"Nevermind…"

"Koenma, I thought you said you made a deal with the exorcists and demon slayers around here!" Ruka growled.

Koenma put his hands on his hips. "I did but that doesn't necessarily mean the townspeople will know. Word doesn't travel that fast you know."

"You better get word going or you ass is mine. This is damn kid that they almost killed and they walk away like it nothing if he die and if we don't do anything about it. Those were some kids in his class. I teach him myself if goes on longer!" Touya growled.

"Touya, calm down. But he's right. If this continues… Either we get people to shape up or we'll have trouble. I might have JJ Thompson come in if he has to," Ruka added.

"You can't! He'll die if you make him come!" Hiei cried.

Touya sighed and patted him on the head.

**End flashback**

"Did it get better?" Mukuro asked.

"Hell no!"

"Go on."

"Okay. Well, John started coming after his time was done. He came more after this one time…"

**Flashback**

"Holy water! Whoa!" a boy gasped in amazement.

"Yeah it took a long time to get since there was always someone looking," another replied with pride.

Hiei took it from the boy's hand. "Holy water? You shouldn't take it from church. You'll get cursed you know. And if you're gonna show off about it, be more secretive. The teacher could walk in any minute."

"You won't tell will you?"

"Won't tell if you won't."

The first boy poured the holy water on Hiei's head. "Let's put it to good use!"

The teacher walked into the room. "Sorry I'm late, um… Oh my…! What…?"

---

John walked into the room. "What happened?"

"Apparently someone in the class poured holy water on Hiei," Ruka said. "They never learn."

Touya walked out.

"Touya?" John blinked.

---

"Uh… Okay so turn to page fifty and…" The door swung open and the teacher froze. The boy who brought the holy water was thrown into the room and Touya walked in as he hit the ground.

He walked to the front of the room and looked at all the students.

"What's the matter with you stupid kids? I know demons and humans have always been against each other but you can't make an exception can you? All demons kill. Is that what you think? You aren't better to us. I heard what you did to my friend. Didn't you learn the first day? Did he kill anyone? No. But because you are stupid enough to believe all demons are evil he has to suffer for it. Someone so innocent… If this is how you'll treat him for years to come it'll be no wonder he'll kill. Would it be just if I went and kill you all? Would you be happy? Answer me!" Touya received no answer.

**End flashback**

"And then came my teen years…" Hiei continued…

**End chapter 31**

Notes:  
1.People, I don't know how Hiei got into school without knowing much Spanish. I just felt like putting him there when this was written. Don't ask.  
2. Ee-ei Hohanshi- In Spanish the J is pronounced like H. Sometimes the g is too. Also the H is skipped.

Uh… Nice present for the holidays. Hope you enjoyed…

One question. Why does Hiei never know anything in yoai fics? Really. Did he look down one day and say "what is that?" NO! He lived with bandits! He must learn about the male anatomy from them! He's a smart guy, I mean he saw Mukuro naked and knew that she was a girl. Why does he not know? I doubt he learned that from Kurama…

On that sick note, review.


	32. Wheel In The Sky

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 32**

"You should date Botan!" twelve year old Jin joked.

"I am _not_ going to torture myself with that bitch!" fourteen year old Hiei growled.

"What do you have against her?"

"She's crazy! And _way_ too cheerful! There are limits to that kind of thing you know! She must be on drugs or something!"

"But she's tons of fun! And you're… Not. She completes you."

"I dunno. Botan's pretty nice, too. How many people have been nice to you even though you're a demon?" fourteen year old Suzaku asked. "…Other than us."

Hiei groaned. "I have no time to think about that junk! I have to study to catch up on what I missed in class."

"Well, maybe you wouldn't fall asleep in class if you didn't study so much."

"Yeah. You could do with a few bad grades every one in a while!" Jin added. "Botan can help you study."

"You date her if you like her so much!" Hiei growled.

"No way! I'm cheating on my girlfriend!"

"Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah! Ruka!" Hearts.

"Dream on. She's not a pedophile. Just a grouchy nun."

"Don't talk about my Ruka like that! What's a pedophile anyway?"

"Someone who… Nevermind."

"Tell me!"

"No! Shut up! Things are so dull without Touya…" Hiei mumbled as he opened the door to John's house. "Huh? I sense something…."

"Boo!" Two guys jumped out the door and both burst out laughing.

"Both of you get out!" Hiei growled.

"Nuh-uh-uh! We're here to watch you!" the blonde one with black eyes replied.

"I can stay by myself. Besides, John's here so out. Now."

"We're here to watch you, you little monster," the blue haired one with hazel eyes explained their presence. "Look at this note John left."

"Lemme see that!" Hiei snatched the note. "'Hey, Hiei. Yoshiki's dead and your dad wants me to come to Chicago. He wants to talk I'll see you in a month or so'."

"I'm Kuromomotaro," the blonde one introduced himself. "Just call me Kuro."

"And I'm Bui," the blue haired one also introduced himself.

"So I'm stuck with you morons for a month? Doesn't John know I can take care of myself?" Hiei growled.

So the days went on…

"Come on…" Jin waved his arms around.

"For the last time, I am _not_ going to date Botan!" Hiei growled.

"Oh, I see how it is…"

"See what?"

"You're not going to date her because… Only people shorter than you can date you! Is that it?"

"No! Only you would think of something stupid like that."

"HIEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!" Botan tackled him.

"It's that time of day again…" Suzaku sighed. "Ten points to her because she can knock a boy down."

"Hiei, who're those freaky guys at your house?" Botan asked.

"Get off me!" Hiei growled as he shoved her off him. "They're supposedly John's friends. How could you not notice then til just now?! They're been here all mon-" Pause. "-th!"

"What something wrong?"

"It's their last day here…"

"Wee! And then we get to be all alone together!" Glomp.

"Too bad. John's coming. He doesn't like you."

"He doesn't?!" Whine.

---

Hiei came home to an empty house. He picked up a note that was left on the table that said: "Haye litleman! Wii went 2 get rop 4 r trip 2 Uhmairika Katch u latuhr. sIned Kuro and Booi wait Bwee."

_Wait do they need rope for? Or at least I think that's that he's trying to say… What is this crap?_ Hiei shook his head. "I gotta study for the test tomorrow…"

---

"HEY, WE'RE BACK!" Kuro screamed as if no one can hear him.

"It took you that long to get rope?" Hiei asked sarcastically, not looking up from his book.

"Hey, you know how hard it is for a guy to get rope around here? I don't understand the shit people are saying here."

"It's called Spanish. You should learn it before going to Mexico."

"Whatever, kid."

"What do you need rope for anyway?"

Kuro snatched the book Hiei was reading. "What the hell is this crap? Aztec? Cortez?"

"Give me that! I have a test tomorrow!" Hiei growled under his breath. "Again, what did you need the rope for anyway?"

"Hey, kid, you still a virgin?"

"Yeah. Otherwise I would be too interested in getting girls to study, wouldn't I? Wait… What're you plotting?" Kuro shoved him down against the bed. Bui took the book from Hiei's hands and tied his hands to the bed.

"You bastards!" Hiei growled. "I'll scream and…!" Bui smacked him and looked away.

"All right man, just do what you gotta do…" Bui looked away and covered Hiei's mouth.

"Don't rush a guy when he's trying to get a hard-on!" Kuro replied and he undid Hiei's belt…

---

"Hiei! I'm back! Hiei?" John walked into Hiei's room. "Hi…! Ohmygod!" His eyes widened at the fourteen year old who was still tied to the bed, bleeding because he was beaten (He was bleeding more at the wrists because be tried to free himself.) and crying in terror. "What happened?"

"Get me off this…" Hiei mumbled.

"Okay…" John cut the rope off his wrist. "Kid, what happened to you?"

"I missed my test today…" Hiei lowered his eyes.

"What the hell did they do to you?"

Hiei cracked. "The towns people beat me! A horse kicked me! Ruka hit with a switch! I fell! I hit my head and fell into a well! I got a paper cut! I stabbed myself! I fell down some stairs! Suzaku hit me with his flute! Jin got stuck in the door. I…"

"It's going to be alright. Just calm down." He hugged him in an attempt to comfort him. _The bastards…_

**End flashback.**

"So you never saw them again? Or was it at Chicago when you saw them?" Mukuro asked before taking another slice of pie.

"I… Lay off the pie woman! You'll become a fat ass!" Hiei replied, pointing a finger at her as if it were a crime that she was eating pie.

"I'm hungry. Now answer the question."

"Well, when I was fifteen I saw them again. I was out for a week after that whole thing and when I was over it, John told me the guys were dead. I believed him at the time but I guess he lied to make me feel better. Must've chased them out of Mexico and beat the crap out of them cause when I saw them again they looked like crap. Then again they didn't look too hot to begin with…" He leaned again the wall and stared at the ceiling. "Well then next year we went to Chicago and the monkeys tried to kill John… I think I remember it like that…. But John told me they were after me. However that works…"

"What happened in Chicago?"

"I don't know…. I think Kuro and Bui were hiding in our supposed hideout. We didn't know so when we went upstairs the two came out with knives or something and went after…. Me or John…? I think they stabbed his heart and I think I got scared and killed them everything that I did after that is… It's just weird. I think I did kill everybody in my way. I was told that by everybody but I'm not really sure. I guess that I'm gonna have to say…" He remembered…_"You killed people, Hiei! You killed people from all the way in Chicago until you got to Mexico! That's why you're being arrested!"_

"You don't remember a thing?"

"No. It's all a blur. John tells me it's shock. It's weird. I don't remember going to America or anything. I asked Botan and she told me I went to America to be with John. Touya told me it was because John didn't want another incident like what happened before… All I really do remember is coming back and crying a lot…"

**Flashback**

"Come on! You gotta eat something or you'll never get better!" Suzaku said, pushing a plate to Hiei, who had his face buried in his arms trying to hide the fact that he was crying.

"I know! Hiei, I know what'll make you feel better!" Jin made his ears wiggle. "Doesn't this look funny?" No answer. "Look!"

"I want to die…" Hiei ran out with Touya following him.

---

Hiei ended up staying with Touya until he felt better but then…

There was a knock at the door and Touya answered it. It was a strange looking exorcist. He had blonde hair and cold blue eyes. His ears were pointed, a demon obviously.

"My name is Zeru. I come in search of a demon I believe you're hiding," he explained his presence.

"Which demon? There's tons and tons of…" Jin was interrupted.

"I search for a Hiei Jaganshi. He is being arrested for manslaughter…" He looked around the room.

"There is no one in this house who goes by that name," Touya growled and added a curse in Chinese.

"Thou shalt not bear false witnesses!" He ran to the end of the hall and into the last room.

"**No, don't tell me that he's got him!**" Jin whispered to himself in Gaelic.

Hiei twitched and rolled over to see who it was. Zeru tugged him to his feet.

"Por que?" was all he could say.

"I supposed you ask why I'm arresting you, Hiei Jaganshi. You make me sick. You killed people, Hiei! You killed people from all the way in Chicago until you got to Mexico! That's why you're being arrested! Thou shalt not kill! Do you not listen, child?! If I could get my hands on you I would let you feel God's wrath upon you! But we must go!" He pulled Hiei out of the house by them arm.

---

Hiei took his punishment without argue. What was the point of arguing if you don't remember what you're arguing about? He forgot how long it was since he got there. But every day he spent in that cell he felt more and more miserable. Once the officer had fallen asleep one day, he took his belt and wrapped it around it neck.

He felt his breath cutting off._ Might as well end it all…_

He winced when he saw a bright light. "What… What is that? It's like…."

He fell to the ground before he reached the light.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Koenma screamed waving the knife that cut the belt.

Hiei lowered his eyes.

Sigh. "We're off."

"Que?"

"Don't 'Que?' me! We're going!"

"But why was I arrested in the first place?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Forget I asked…" _I should try to, too. If possible…._

---

"Make sure everything stays in order, Rui," the village leader said.

"Yes. I will," Rui nodded. "Best wishes on your journey." When she turned around after watching the village leader leave, she saw eighteen year old Hiei standing behind her. "Eh…"

"I won't hurt you. I just want to find someone," Hiei explained his presence. "I'm looking for a Hina."

"You know her?"

"I'm a friend."

"Oh…" She looked around to see if anyone was watching. "Um, this way…"

They stood before a grave. "Here she is. Um, she gave birth to twins and one was a boy. When she was forced to give him up, she killed herself… And now…. Her daughter is gone, too…" Her voice went on.

Hiei sighed. _So you killed yourself? Give me a chance, will you, mom? If you knew I was still alive…?_ He started to walk away.

"Wait," Rui called him. "That gun you have… Have you used it before?"

"Yeah."

"Have you killed anyone?"

"If I were afraid to kill it destroys the purpose of having one. But yeah. Lots of times."

"You… You're not her friend are you? You're the one! The one I…" She tripped before she could catch up to him. "Kill… Kill me…"

Hiei shook his head. _No point in return._

---

He came to Rhode Island when he turned nineteen. He was there for a while. He was looking for his mother's tear gem that he lost in a fight with a thug. He was hoping he would find it at some point.

There was a doctor there named Shigure. He worked only with demons and specialized in giving people Jagan Eyes. You could tell by the way he dressed he was from Demon World. He also had piercing all over his face along with some stitches across his face.

"Is there a Shigure here?" Hiei asked.

Shigure turned around and looked away. "You lost, kid? I ain't giving you all directions home."

"I ain't lost. I came here for a reason."

"You're a scrawny kid that carries a gun and a sword like you all're scared of getting hurt or can't choose which one to use. You all can't take it."

Hiei took out his sword and stabbed it through his hand and twisted it.

"Is that supposed to impair my judgment?"

"I can take it."

_Damn kids._ "Tell me your past first. I won't waste my talents on some bore who probably will never use it for anything except decoration. If you interest me, I'll do it…."

---

It was the most painful thing Hiei had to endure. He was out for three days after that. As soon as he woke up, he started to leave.

"You all goin' already, kid?" Shigure asked.

"I got what I came for," Hiei replied.

"You can't carry your sword right. You'll die fast."

"Tch. Shut it. If you think so, then teach me, if not then I'll just go."

"I will if you can defeat me when you master it." He threw a sword to the younger man. "Lift it."

Hiei barely lifted it. "Got it." He fell backwards. "Ah, shit!"

_This will take a while…_ Shigure sighed at the thought.

**End flashback**

"Did you master it?" Mukuro asked as she finished off the pie.

"Yeah," Hiei answered simply.

"So you beat him?"

"No. I'm never going to Rhode Island again! That guy was a freak! He must have a piercing on every part of his body!"

"Okay. That it?"

"Basically unless you wanna hear about that Shuichi Minamino kid."

"I'd rather hear about something other than your gay lover."

"Shut it."

She unlocked the cell. "Go."

"What?"

"I've been looking into your file since Chica… Wait, I was sixteen then."

"Wait? You writing a novel about me and you're a year older than me?!"

"No, it was something of interest to me and yes, I am a year older than you. But if I catch you again, it'll be til 1955 when you get out."

"Bitch." Just before walked out, he stopped. "What's your deal? You and your slavery references."

"I'm an abolitionist. Look, when I was a kid, I went through some hard times. Enough said."

"Tell me."

She sighed. "Look…"

**End chapter 32**

Notes:  
1. I have no idea what they studied back then. I dunno how far back the history classes went.  
2. Thou shalt not bear false witnesses! And Thou shalt not kill!- Two of the Ten Commandments. The first has to do with lying. Basically "Don't lie."  
3. Gaelic- language of Ireland. Jin came straight to Mexico from Ireland, people.  
4. Abolitionists- people who wanted to stop slavery

Yeah. People keep asking when Yomi comes. He's at the end of chapter 36. Unless you count in flashbacks, he's in the next one. As crazy as ever…. Cuse we love insane British guys.

Review please.


	33. Just a Survivor

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 33**

"I was about three or four when I was illegally sold to some slave auction. However that works. And never mind why my parents did it. They're idiots like all rich people," Mukuro began her explanation.

"Huh? Isn't slavery already illegal? ...And you come from a rich family?! What're you doing hanging around common people like me?!" Hiei asked.

"Slavery illegal? No despite the Constitution stating that every man is created equal. One of the reasons the US is so screwed up. We can't decide if we're a country with or without slaves. And yes I'm from a rich family. I find living like I am more amusing. Anyway, I ended up with some rich family in Louisiana. I pretty much spent most of my time worrying about when my next beating would be..."

"So you were the only one?"

"I guess those people enjoyed people like me. They had five more. That's a lot, really. And there were four than weren't illegal. There were two slaves that I remember helping me through this the most. One was Mark or I think that's what his name is. I forgot. He was fifteen or fourteen when I came. The other was Mary or Big Mama. Don't ask me why they called her that... And there was the owners' nephew. I think his name was Yomi. Apparently he was supposed to be studying in America until he turned eighteen and would go to medical school in London. I wanted to beat his head with a brick and see if he gets his sanity back if he ever had it."

"God, even when you were a kid you're still a psycho bitch."

"You would say the same if you met him."

"Sure. So when'd you get freed?"

"Well, it happened a while after this new overseer came. I was fourteen when it happened. The guy took a liking to me and Mark suspected he was going to do something so he watched over me. At some point, Yomi caught on and did the same. I was too stupid at the time to realize..."

"Oh... I see..."

**Flashback**

"Why don't you run? You shouldn't have to take this!" Yomi argued with Big Mama one April morning. "See, the Underground Railroad…"

"I don' see no reason to. They ain't wronged us any, really. Ah ain't complainin'. Ah know some need me here," she replied.

"What about that one girl?"

"Which one?"

"That German… British… One. I think she is anyway…"

"Keep an eye on her and ne'er get her name?"

"She never talks."

"I heared her name was Mukuro. What makes you concern 'bout her?"

"You know that new guy? His name's Nicholas D. Roy. I have a feeling he wants more than work from her."

"Ah realize that. Mark telled me once. He's watchin' out fer her. If Nick D. Roy wants more'n work then them higher peoples would get mighty angry. Ah trust Mark wit' makin' sure she all right. He always do that fer her. Nice boy he's become."

"But if he has his way with her…"

"Ah know ta tell Mark an' them o'ers to go. Ah tell 'em not to run 'way. Not til Ah think the time right. Ah ain't got no real reason to go an' nei'er do they."

"Is that so?"

"Boy, ain't you got somethin' better to do?"

"Don't remind me."

"Shouldn' you be studyin'?" Mark asked as he walked to the two with Mukuro following.

"I can catch up tomorrow! Besides that, how can I study if there is injustice going on around me?!" Yomi growled holding up a clutched fist.

"Ya always say that."

"Goddamn it…" He looked at Mukuro. Then he heard his aunt call him to tell him dinner was ready. He looked in the direction the voice was coming from and started to walk that way. "Wait. Mukuro."

She twitched, expecting an order.

"Watch yourself. If that guy does anything to you then…"

Deer in the headlights look.

"Well, shit. Never mind."

---

"Ya know that Yomi guy was right. Ya know that Nick D. Roy guy's been lookin' atcha weird for some time. Don' he know Ah'll kick his sorrah ass if he do…" Mark was interrupted.

"Mark ya cain't. Ya'll be a dead man," Big Mama scolded.

"He won't. Those people'll make sure he won't," Mukuro mumbled as if to herself.

'Ah don' want ya ta get hurt or nothin'…" Mark stopped when her eyes went away.

---

"Well… This… This…. THIS IS A FUCKING LOAD OF BULL SHIT!!!" Yomi screamed into the sky. _Oh shit… What if they heard me? They tell me not to curse and I just yelled it out loud for the world to hear… And then I get killed this time for sure after they told me 1, 286, 093 times not to… It has to be blamed on someone. But who…? I know! The gays! It's always the gays' faults!!_ "DAMN YOU HOMOSEXUALS FOR MAKING ME CURSE SO MUCH!!"

"Are you feeling okay?" Mark asked him, eyebrow raised.

"It's the… The gays. They're… I'm pissed off!"

"H… Huh?"

"Listen. I told my aunt and uncle about Nick D. Roy. They said he's staying and that I was being overly suspicious."

"Ya know they woul'. We only property to 'em."

"So what're we going to do?! We can't let that bloody bastard…"

"Ah don' know. You's the smart one. If he don' go 'way…" He sighed. "She was learned how to take punishment and ne'er how ta fight."

"Well… Bloody hell! That too is the gays' faults! Damn you for disobeying the natural order, gays!!"

---

So months had passed and the situation was nearly forgotten. Despite everything Yomi and Mark said to her, she kept working without much worry. All there was to worry about for her was if she would last another beating.

Then came that day.

It was pretty late that night. Everyone was about to fall asleep when Nick D. Roy came into the room a smirk on his face. He pointed at Mukuro.

"Hey you. I just got orders from them people. They tells me you gots an inside job to do. Nice change since you been working out all the time," he said.

Deer in the headlights look.

"All right then!" he grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her out. "Let's go."

"'Ey. Maybe Ah should come too. Ya to know get it done faster," Mark got up ready to follow them.

"Nah. Sorry. Them people say only this one. So…" He dragged her out of the room.

Mark groaned._ Not a good situation…_

---

Yomi yawned after a long night of studying. He stared at the book and closed it. He looked around to see if anyone was somehow secretly hiding in his room before he decided to "enjoy himself" for a couple of hours or until someone happened to interrupt his "session".

Then there was a knock on his window.

"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING IMMORAL! IT'S THE GAYS THAT ARE DOING IMMORAL THINGS!!" Yomi gasped. He shook his head and went to the window. "Mark? What're you?"

"Mukuro's gone! She haven't come back since last night! I think that Nick D. Roy finally did it!" Mark whispered.

"He…?" He tried to restrain himself from screaming. "I thought I heard some footsteps early this morning. I thought someone was cleaning early or something… I… Shit. I think he might have dumped her in the Mississippi!"

He was right. There they saw her laying naked on her face and passed out in the shallow part of the river. Yom rolled her on her back and shook her. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"Oh praise the Lord! She's okay!" Mark cried.

"What happened?" Yomi asked her.

"I don't know…" she whispered. She looked down and saw blood in between her legs. "It's not supposed to be… It hurts…" Then she threw up blood and passed out.

"Good God!" a voice came from behind them. It was Yomi's aunt, who happened to be taking a morning stroll.

**End Flashback**

"I was supposedly out for three days after that. And I guess a day after his aunt found out they hanged that guy. Well, after they figured I was up to working, I left for Pennsylvania. When I was in Illinois I happened to meet Koenma. He pretty much got me back in Boston and into school,' Mukuro went on.

"Koenma? Man, that guy's just everywhere, isn't he?" Hiei replied.

"Guess so. He told me he was trying to spread happiness to everyone in the world and spread the good word of the Lord, too…"

**Flashback**

It was a rainy day and Mukuro was hiding under a tree. Then she heard two voices, one a man's and another was a woman's.

"I heard something moving in the bushes, Botan! I hope it's a raccoon so I could keep it!"

"Father!"

"What? I'm jealous of those furry ring tailed little bandits!"

"So? You still can't keep it!"

"Why not? I'm feed it and hug it and squeeze it and love it and play with it and take all the responsibility! So can I keep it?"

"How would it look for a priest to…?"

"I'm getting it anyway!" The man lunged into the bushes and almost pounced on Mukuro who jumped out of the way looking like he was going to shoot her. He looked disappointed. "I was hoping for a raccoon but this could do as well…?"

_What was that supposed to mean?!_ Mukuro and the woman, Botan, both thought.

---

She was sixteen when she met her parents. She and Koenma argued for hours whether they were dead or not. Koenma always ended it with "They didn't leave you because they're dead. They had a perfectly good explanation for leaving you…"

So that day Koenma stood with Mukuro on his right side in front of a psychotic looking German man and a rather angry looking British woman.

"Uh..." Awkward silence. Koenma cleared his throat. "Mr. and Mrs.… Uh… Eikenberry…" More awkward silence. "So… Uh…" Cough. "Screw it. Here's your daughter." Confetti.

"Mukuro! I haven't seen you in years!" Mukuro's mother leapt from her seat, still looking angry even though she was overwhelmed with joy. She gave her a tight hug that nearly snapped Mukuro's ribs. She started feeling on her body like she was searching Mukuro for any hidden weapons. "You've developed so well!" she said once her hands were on her daughter's chest.

Her father started looking even more psycho. Hell, Mukuro started expecting the guy's eyes to bug out while he spoke English as if it were the hardest task in the world. "Quit feeling on her! Don't you know how uncomforting it is?" and he added in German, "**Lesbian bitch.**"

"I understood that!" the woman turned around. "Don't say horrible things in front of her! She might understand you!"

"Good. Now she knows what you are."

"Shut up you…!"

"BOTH OF YOU JUST…!" Mukuro ran out.

Koenma shook his head. _She won this round._

---

She went back to Louisiana for some reason she couldn't remember. All she knew was that she ended up killing everybody in the mansion regardless of who they were. After it was all over, she just wondered what the hell she just did…

She walked out in a bloody mess when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned around to see Mark. She shook her head and ran away only to be caught by Koenma in New Jersey….

**End Flashback**

"Goddamn! And you got into law enforcement with that on your mind?!" Hiei gasped.

"Not til Koenma saw I was done with a hundred 'Hail Mary's and a hundred 'Our Father's," Mukuro replied. "It was four years ago when I met someone named Raizen. Apparently someone made a dirty comment about him to his face so they started a fight in the bar. I ended up arresting him. There's something wrong with him…"

"What makes you say that?"

"He doesn't eat. Hasn't for seven hundred years."

"Goddamn! Why?"

"Tells me it's a diet but I don't believe him."

**Flashback**

"So five seconds and you're drunk again. You don't even touch the stuff. How do you do it?" Mukuro asked the demon.

"Yeah well, five and you're not!" Raizen replied, pointing a finger at her, hiccupping.

"Cause I have German blood in my veins. Germans don't get drunk."

"Mukuro, you're fun-ny!" He poked her side.

"That hurts."

"Yeah well… Stop… Spinning like that…"

Raised eyebrow. "Sure… So you never eat and you never drink. Why not?"

"Cause I don't need it!"

"Yeah and my hair's not naturally red." Sarcasm.

_It looks like brown from here._ "I'm on a diet."

"A diet."

"Yeah. I don't care about what those rich people ay about good meals! It's gross!"

"Doesn't mean you can't eat."

"Yeah, well, why're you always drinking?"

"My job is very stressful."

**End flashback**

"So yeah. Not much to say about my past. It's not as exciting as yours but it would work," she started to leave. "I'm going home."

Hiei shrugged and went after her.

"Are you following me?"

"I need a place to stay for the night."

"Sure." She looked up. "Looks like snow already…"

---

So Mukuro started off the morning by falling off her bed, crashing into three walls, tripping over nothing four times, tripping over two chairs, and cursing herself out in German for putting the damn things there in the first place.

"The lack of sleep did it to you…" Hiei said, smirking. He walked out.

_Maybe it would've been better if I told him not to try anything on me…_ she sighed in her head. There was the sound of the door closing. _Why do I feel like I'll see him again?_

**End chapter 33**

Notes:  
1. Don't argue with me over the details of slavery. I know my history, people. I'm a nerd for history. If I weren't then this wouldn't be in the 1800s.But yeah. I go into the why and how of this later on. But this was because I wanted to stay with Mukuro's past in the anime. Stupid me!  
2. Underground Railroad- basically a group of people working together to help slaves escape.  
3. "Father!"- No, Koenma is NOT Botan's father! It's how you refer to priests. Let's use a Trinity Blood reference for an example. Abel Nightroad is a priest… Exorcist… Whatever. He's referred to as Father Nightroad. See?

Sorry Yomi wasn't as crazy as I promised and sorry if it kinda sucked. I'm burned out right now. I was thinking about suicide before I got started typing. I have days like that. If I miss updating you're going have to figure it's because of that.

And furthermore, apologies to anyone offended by Hiei and Mukuro getting raped. Apparently I've been told people who go through it are offended when they see this but I kinda roll my eyes at that because it seems silly to be offended by that. Anyway, I thought it was a good plot device but no, guys, it's not. It's clichéd.

Anyway we'll get to Kurama again next so review.


	34. Mr Brightside

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 34**

**November 14, 1849 (San Francisco, California)**

"Hey, Shuichi. Why didn't you want to leave Mexico?" Kurama's friend, Kaitou asked. He had black hair that was in the same style as Kuwabara's. His narrow black eyes always seemed to be analyzing something. On his nose were perched thick framed glasses. His pale face was spotted with freckles. He was sixteen years old… Incidentally, you know he's British?

"…I had friends there, too. So leaving them…. I feel like I'm missing something you know?' Kurama replied after a moment of hesitation.

"Well, you can visit them later then. Right now you have to focus on catching up to everybody. You missed several tests, you know."

"I'm sure."

"Don't you want to be here anymore?"

"It's not like that. I just feel like I lost more than the chance to see them for a while. I mean, I think I saw more over there than I ever did here. And there… There I was… I dunno."

"See them in the summer if you're not studying."

"I won't know where everybody is. One's in New York for who knows how long and another's in Texas and one went to Chicago and I don't know when he's coming back either, It won't be the same without Hiei either?"

"Hiei? Who's Hiei?! You don't mean the Hiei Jaganshi who killed people in New York and in Chicago, do you?!"

_I wish people didn't rub it in._ "It's a different Hiei. It's a Hiei Rodriguez."

Long blank stare. "Sure…"

"I need to study. I'll catch up with you later!" Kurama ran home.

_Why do I have a feeling like he's avoiding me? Avoiding me?! No one avoids ME! I'm too irresistible to avoid! …I am… Aren't I…?_ Kaitou walked home started to feel his pride throbbing.

Well, back to the important part of the story. Kurama was greeted by his step brother, Shuichi. Shuichi had light brown hair. His eyes were like Kaitou's except blue.

"Hey, is there something wrong, Brother?" Shuichi asked.

"No. Why?' Kurama asked.

"I dunno. You seem kinda out of it… Did something happen while you were in Mexico?"

_Why does it seem like everybody thinks something weird happened there?_ "No. I'm just a little tired after all the studying I'm been doing. I'll be fine once I catch up."

"Oh… Okay."

Just as he was about to walk into his room, Kurama asked, "Hey, Shu-chan? What would you say if I liked another guy?"

"W… What?!" Shuichi's hair turned white. "Are you…? Did you…? OMG!"

"I… No, I… It's… OMG! Never mind!" Kurama hid under his bed. Then two hours later, his step-dad, whose name I can't remember but I think it was Hanataka, came in and asked him why Shuichi was screaming "OMG! WTF! Slaps j00. L33t. ROFL. Myspace. 3m0."

---

After putting Shuichi through the disturbing experience of having Shuichi sent to an exorcist, Kurama finally got to studying. "My wrist feels like jelly…. Well, that'd done…."

He yawned at looked at a piece of paper. _Hiei. Maybe I should write…_

All he managed to write was: "Hey, Hiei

"I we"

_What am I doing? Does Hiei even care how I'm doing anymore? I mean, it was only until this whole mess was over, wasn't it? So… Yeah he said he loved me but how do I know he meant it? Does he really hate me being half American? Is he really going crazy because of me? Did I really change him like he said? What if he only wanted me that one night and that was it? What was I to him?_

And Youko replied._ Entertainment, you tard._

…_Am I just…?_ He crumpled up the paper and threw it at the wall.

Suddenly Shuichi, who was still recovering from shock, ran in. 'Don't u litter! OMG! Slaps j00!! XDD."

"What the…?"

"O.o"

---

**Guerroro, Mexico. January 6, 1850**

"Yay! Hiei's back! And in time for Three King's Day!" Jin cheered and jumped around.

"Why did you even want me to come back? I'm the most hated person in this part of Mexico… And maybe the continent," Hiei replied.

"Aw… Is Hiei being all emotional? Let Jin pull those little cheeks!"

"Touch me and you die."

"But Jin was really scared! Touya came back the other day and said Hiei didn't come back with John and the other guy! And he said that John didn't show up right away either! Jin was scared for them both even though he doesn't know who John is! It reminded him of JJ! Jin was scared…"

_So John was the only one who looked._

"And Jin did what Hiei said when he was gone but it got hard for him because Kurama wasn't there anymore?"

"He's gone?"

Nod.

"When?"

"October."

_Should've known. _"So what's with you?"

"But… But Jin was scared! He might always act happy but he has his limits too. Jin thought Hiei was killed… And if he was really dead then Jin would have cried til Jin had no tears left. He hasn't felt this bad since he was thirteen and Hiei was arrested. So Jin was all alone."

"All right. Let's go… Eat potatoes or something."

"Yay! Jin is happy!"

_I wonder how Kurama's doing up there…._ Hiei thought with a sigh. _I was starting to get used to him…. Hmm…_

---

So the rest of 1849 flowed through slowly for Kurama. It was back to the days before Sensui. It was almost like a dream. It was almost like everybody in Mexico didn't really exist. He almost forgot it all in all the studying he did. There was one thing that reminded him. The crumpled piece of paper that said, "Hey, Hiei. I we".

_Hiei…. Which one was that again?_ He thought that late February. _Why can't I remember? It was a few months ago but why can't I remember?_

He sighed and closed his eyes, letting the rain fall on him. He vaguely remembered him. Cold ruby eyes with a touch of hidden innocence and cluelessness. Black hair and an outburst of white that defied gravity. He was light on his feet/ He was blunt and acted confident. At the same time he was still suffering from his childhood yet he still had the nerve to live with the same people who had tormented him. The reason why was unknown. Maybe Hiei didn't know himself…

"Shuichi?" a voice called him questioningly.

"Huh? Oh, Kaitou?' Kurama felt like he was in a daze now. Why was it painful to remember Hiei? Was it because he knew there was a good chance he would never see him again?

"Hey, are you feeling okay?"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"Other than your tone?"

"I was thinking about something?"

"About what?"

"You'll understand later."

Kaitou raised an eyebrow. He would never understand what ran through his friend's mind. All he knew was that there were fugues of genius in his mind. Nothing more. "Well, when you finish thinking, get out of the rain. You'll catch a cold."

Kaitou tried to push him to something that would shelter him from the rain.

"Hey, do you remember me saying anything about Hiei?" Kurama finally asked. "I know it sounds weird, but I don't remember much about Mexico."

"You don't? How can you not?"

"I dunno. I think it was all the studying."

"Well, you said he had a problem with Americans for some reason. You said he thought you were always asking stupid questions and something about him not having any parents there for him as a kid. There was also something about him being separated from his sister. In fact, I think you said he met her again but didn't tell her. That's al you told me…"

"Oh. I see." _Why do I feel disappointed…?_

---

"Doncha wanna see Kurama?' Jin asked Hiei as he lit a fire.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go to California just so we can have a five minute talk," Hiei replied sarcastically. "It's what he wanted, right? The boy doesn't need me."

"But he likes you…"

"Okay, I know I'm bi, but I won't get that desperate."

"Huh? As in what? You don't think I'm you friend anymore…?"

"Look, we're ten years apart. He's still a kid and my childhood was taken away when I killed that guy. Kids date other kids."

"Aw… Donchoo like him?"

"Jin, look at me. What do you see?"

"I see my best friend!" Heart.

"How cute. Have you looked at Kurama? What do you see?"

"I see my other best friend!" Heart.

"Isn't that nice? Look, are we anything alike at all?"

"Mm… You're both my best friends!"

"Other than that!"

"Both half American. Both can speak a foreign language. You do really good in school. Right handed. You like each other and 're in denial about it."

"Look, it he likes me, it's one sided. I don't like him in that same way he likes me. There are women in California. He should set things straight and go on with his life- getting married and such. There's no reason for me to screw with his life."

"But you…"

"What? So if you think I'm so into Kurama, would you have a problem with me doing you right here?"

"Yeah! Cheating on Kurama!"

"Okay you asked for it!" He knocked Jin over and started undoing his belt.

"NOOOO!"

Suddenly the door swung open and Touya walked in. "Heigh ho. What the hell are you doing Hiei?!"

"I'm just playing with him," Hiei redid his belt. "Man, you look messed up right now."

"Haven't gotten much sleep lately. I don't know why. I've been stressing myself out with you being arrested by Eikenberry in Massachusetts."

"You know, despite what you guys think, I don't think she's that bad."

"She?"

"Eh…" _Forgot I'm the only one who knows._ "You know… I'll go see Kurama in California. It's February, right? I'll catch him at the end of March then…"

"Okay. That was off topic. I'll see you when you come back then…"

---

Spring came fast that March of 1850. Kurama stood by the beach watching the waves hit the sand as if in light rage. Suddenly he heard light footsteps.

"Hey, Minamino!" a voice called.

Kurama looked over his shoulder… Hiei?!

"Been a while, fox."

"You're!" Kurama ran to the smaller demon.

Kaitou stared in shock, his hair turning white, because at that moment he saw his friend kissing another guy…

**End chapter 34 (Shuichi: Slaps j00. Lolz.)**

Notes:  
1. 3m0- my l33t speak version of emo.  
2. Three Kings Day- a Holiday in Mexico celebrating the Three Kings that visited Jesus when he was born. Children receive small gifts. They also have this thing where someone goes around with a donkey and go to three houses. The first two don't invite the person in but the third one does and shares food with them or something. I forgot… Unless I'm thinking Christmas…

Weird chapter… Uh… Yeah…Here are some extras…

**Extra 14 I think…**  
"Despite what you guys think, I don't think she's that bad. She just shot me and threatened to kill me and starve me and draw fan arts of me," Hiei said.  
"You're okay with that?!" Touya gasped.

**Extra 15 On chapter 32**  
"I am…" Mukuro started coughing.  
"Don't you cough up a hair ball!" Hiei growled.  
"Allergies."  
All of a sudden Hiei coughed up a hair ball. "Damn it."

Please review.


	35. Love Stuff

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 35**

"So when'd you get here?' Kurama asked Hiei as he dragged a still white-haired, frozen Kaitou by the arm. Now where they were going shall remain a mystery.

"Just today. Jin wouldn't leave me alone about you leaving and how I didn't go to see you," Hiei replied. He raised an eyebrow at Kaitou and shook his head.

"Whoa. So for almost three months?"

"I just got back to Chicago in January. Just in time for Three King's Day."

"What? So I'm guessing you had a lot of fun in Chicago?"

"No, I got arrested when we went to Massachusetts."

"Arrested? Again? What'd you do this time?"

"I wasn't doin' nothing. I guess she had a history with my man whore father or John or something."

"She? What do you mean by she? They let a woman get a job that's not teaching or textiles? I dunno why but the idea seems kinda... I dunno, wrong."

"Yeah..." _Thing is they don't know she's a woman?_

"Wait... I thought John was dead and you didn't know your father."

"I dunno the details with John. Who said I didn't know that man whore?"

"So that proves it then!" Kaitou cried, finally regaining his composure. He pointed a finger at Hiei as if he committed a crime. "You really _are_ Hiei Jaganshi! I thought it was a coincidence, your face I mean (_What? Did he see my nonexistent picture or something or is he trying to imply I look weird to him? Well, he isn't exactly the picture of perfection the ladies would love himself! _Hiei thought.) but that... That! And you hid your identity and molested (Kurama gave him a blank stare, "Molest?") my friend! The injustice!" He held up a clutched fist as if that would make his point.

_Your mom's injust. And Kurama's friends with this fucktard? He needs to get a better selection._ Hiei growled in his head.

"Actually, I changed his name when I mentioned him so you wouldn't do what you're doing now. And no, he didn't molest me," Kurama explained with a sigh.

"Yeah, well, explain this whole mess you made when you first saw each other!" Pointed finger. Drama. Angst. Hiei wishing he could get struck by lightning so he would shut up for five seconds.

"Oh that... Reflex?"

"I hardly think that's gonna cut it, kid," Hiei replied. He put an arm around the red head's shoulders, which must have been pretty hard considering that Kurama was pretty tall compared to Hiei. "And I didn't just molest him, I went all the way through with him... I (bleep)ed his (bleep) and then we (bleep)ed (bleep) (bleep) and (bleep)ed his (bleeep) (bleeeep) (bleep) and he said (bleep) (bleep) (bleep)ing (bleep) (bleep) (bleep)er."

"I didn't say that!" Kurama pulled away from him.

"Well, you should've. It would've made it so much better."

"You're a sick guy." Eye twitch.

"You know it's true..."

"Okay... Just... Just don't do it in front of me again... Or tell that story again. My stomach can't take it..." Kaitou whined over-dramatically, holding his stomach as if all his organs would suddenly just burst out.

"With that being said, you wanna..." Hiei was interrupted.

"I'd rather not. Kids are staring..." Kurama pointed out.

And, of course, a bunch of five year olds were staring. "Whoooa..."

---

It was almost sunset at the time and Kurama and Hiei were standing on the beach watching the tides come in and out.

"So when you said you were coming back... You only came because Jin would've leave you alone about it?" Kurama asked as if in dep thought.

"Yeah, pretty much," Hiei answered simply, picking up a crab and watching it crawl around in circles on his palm.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So I wouldn't have seen you again if Jin never bothered you about it? You know, if I can't leave California for some reason? I know it sounds weird but you gotta consider..."

"Maybe. You know I almost forgot about you for some reason. Crazy, huh?"

"Yeah. I did too. But I actually know I wanted to go back to Mexico just to see you. But I guess it wasn't the same on your side. I guess you just wanted to see me off and just throw me away like I'm nothing."

"It's not like that."

"I'm sure it's not." Sarcasm.

"Is the air up there thick or something?!" Hiei tugged on a lock of the fox's crimson hair. "I said maybe! **Maybe!**"

"Yeah, well, I think I got a taste of how maybe works for you. It's pretty much the same as saying no."

He sighed. "You're wrong."

"If you wanted me to go home, you should have said so instead of leaving me hanging."

"No. There's something I need to tell you."

"What?"

"Look. It's just that... Never mind."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. Quit asking."

"No, really. What?"

"Nothing. Quit asking. Why do you insist on knowing anyway?"

"I know that if I wait for the answer, then it'll definitely bite me on the ass later when I find out."

"It's not that bad."

"You know..." He shrugged. "I wish I knew how to quit you!"

"What?!" Hiei almost fell over.

"Sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it..."

"Are you feeling okay Kurama? You don't sound too hot right now... Or sane for that matter. If you had it when this conversation began... But 'I wish I knew how to quit you'? What am I a drug or something? Cause you know what? Say no to drugs kid! You see what they did to Botan?"

"...I love you. Is that the easiest way to say it so you understand?"

"Yes. The quitting thing disturbed me. On so many levels."

"You disturb me on many levels."

"Can we get back on topic?' Hiei sighed laying back. "There's the first star."

Kurama shook his head. "I'm going home. You'll be here tomorrow?"

"Yeah. If you hear something on your roof, it's probably me running away from some freak who would probably jump on me while I'm sleeping out here..."

"If the tide doesn't get you first."

Suddenly Hiei's fear of water returned.

---

"Shuichi, what was that yesterday?' Kaitou asked when they walked home from school that day.

"What was what?" Kurama asked. "That's the sky. That's a building. That's the general store. That's the beach. That's a chair. She has..."

"That Hiei guy."

"He's a Mexican. He's not a that. He's..."

"You know what I mean."

"There's nothing wrong with him really. That whole thing about him in Chicago... He was confused. If you saw your friend die in front of you you would probably do the same."

"Uh huh... So what's your relationship with him?"

"Can't you guess?"

"Yeah. But I hope it's far from the truth. I think you're (bleep)ing his (bleep) and (bleep) (bleep) (bleep)ing (bleep)! Not fun."

"Uh... Quite an imagination you've got there. But I'll leave you to believe that while I go home and get sick at that thought... Happy travels!" Heart.

---

Kurama thought it over while sitting in the cherry tree at home. He remembered _"Look. There's something I need to tell you."_

_But what?_

_Can you even guess? Has he wronged you before?_ Youko asked him.

_Not really. Can't really say. He hasn't really hidden anything from me. It's just that I never ask him but expect him to tell me everything I want to know. Not a wise choice, really. Maybe he just... I dunno._

_Maybe he's really not gay..._

_He told me he was bi. There's a difference._

_Okay if you think you're so smart, what do you think it is?_

_Uh... I dunno. Could be another lover for all I know. Like I said, I can't say._

_Maybe you should make it easy on yourself and just leave him. I don't wanna see you guys get it on again. That was awful. It's all your fault for being gay!_

_Like I had a choice! That kinda makes you gay if you share my..._

_Don't finish that or I'll hurt you._

_But we..._

_Shut it! Fag._

_Okay... That didn't help it at all... But what? Another lover? No, can't be._ _I'm the only one, right?_

It ended when Kurama's mom called him to come and eat dinner.

---

"You're going already?" Kurama asked.

"Yeah. I told you the only reason I came was because Jin wouldn't leave me alone. Can't stay too long anyway. I don't really trust Jin with my crops," Hiei replied.

---

Meanwhile in Guerroro...

"Why aren't they growing?!" Jin screamed into the sky. He stared at the field in dismay. He saw no crops and he kept pleading to God that he wanted them to grow.

Then Touya came, eyebrow raised. "You realize they don't sprout until the spring, right?"

"They do?"

---

"You know I think I might just move to America and get a better job," Hiei said.

"Why?" Kurama asked.

"Other than the fact that it takes to long to get here?"

"I know that."

"Would because I can be a good answer?"

"Okay... But where?"

"Maybe Illinois. You know just to see Touya and John more. My man whore father would screw it up too much. But I guess it's kinda nice to see my so called American hometown."

"You're from Illinois?"

"From Demon World but I came there first. I consider it my home. I never told you?"

"No."

"I guess I only told her."

"How can you get me confused with that woman?"

"You kinda look alike. Only you're flat. She actually has boobs. But you're also easier to listen to. She sounds weird. I think she has a British and German accent at the same time to annoy people."

"O... Okay. That was off topic. So you'll head straight back to Mexico."

"Nah. I think I'll go pay my friend in Massachusetts a visit. Then I'll go see Touya and everybody and come back."

"So you'll be back in Mexico in about May?"

"Yeah. Maybe late June."

"Oh. So July then."

"July?"

"I'll come in July."

"Oh. Right. Sure."

"Ja ne," Kurama watched Hiei walk away. _Why can't I help but feel that I'm missing out on something...? I'm wrong... Right?_

**end chapter 35**

Notes:  
1. Ja ne- It means "See ya" in Japanese. Why did I make him say that? Because I'm retarded. Foreign languages in fanfiction that's used for something other than humorous reasons bugs me. Don't count on learning Japanese from fanfiction people. Don't get me started ranting.  
2. "I wish I knew how to quit you!" and "Sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it."-References to _Brokeback Mountain_.

Yeah that kinda sucked. Sorry. The next one will be better! I think. Crazy Raizen's in there... And psycho Mukuro cause you know I made her nuts. And then it's the long anticipated appearance of Yomi! But he doesn't do anything crazy yet. He just proposes to someone. Yeah. Uh...

You know... I stopped getting as many reviews around the part where Mukuro came in. I wonder why. Because it became even more like a soap opera. Probably. Lol...

**Extra 16: Crabs  
**Hiei picked up the crab and it started singing, "Under the sea! Under the sea! Darling it's better down where it's wetter!"  
"NOOO!" He threw it.

Review please!


	36. Simple and Clean

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 36**

"_Give the pie a break, lady. You're tearing that thing up," Yusuke said as he watched Mukuro eat pie._

"_I'm hungry. Deal with it," Mukuro replied._

_Raizen whispered to Yusuke, "She's pissed off."_

"_Huh?" Yusuke whispered back._

"_She's pissed. Can't you tell? Whenever something pisses her off she starts eating a lot for some reason."_

"_I… I see."_

"_I think someone's coming," Mukuro mumbled once she finished the pie._

---

**Boston, Massachusetts (May 15, 1850)**

It was a pretty hot day with summer about to roll in. It was one of those seemingly endless days that was consumed of heat. Mukuro stood near the docks watching the waves roll by slowly against the ships departing and arriving.

Then someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey."

Mukuro blinked and turned around to see Hiei. She gave him a deer in the headlights look until she finally recognized him.

"Oh…. Bloody hell," she pointed the gun to her head. "I should just end it now and save myself from another head ache."

"You're not gonna fire that are you?' Hiei asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Give me a reason not to."

"Other than the fact that people are staring?"

"They're always staring since a majority of people can't live without gossiping about something."

"But who would keep Boston in good shape?"

"My replacement."

"Shoot yourself and I'll shoot myself and I'll bug you in the afterlife."

"What you're not satisfied with annoying me in life?"

"…I… I guess. **Not really but I'll say so anyway.**"

"What was that last part?"

"Nothing! Now put the gun dow-" Mukuro threw it at him. "The hell was that for!"

"Why'd you come here in the first place?" She sighed irritably.

"I came for you."

"Exactly. You came to bug the hell out of me again."

"No. What I mean was…"

"Reason number two." She started to walk away.

_Reason number two? What's reason number two? Number two as in…? So is she implying that I came all this way to…?_ "YOU'RE A SICK WOMAN, ER, MAN, MUKURO! SAYING THAT I CAME HERE TO… DO SOMETHING THAT I WON'T YELL OUT IN PUBLIC! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!"

_I'm not going to ask what went through his mind right now…_ Suddenly Mukuro started walking faster. _I need pie._

---

So Hiei decided to hide in a bar… Saloon… Whatever the crap they're called here. Anyway…

"Hiei?" a voice called him questioningly.

Hiei turned around. "Yusuke? Aren't you a little young to be in here?"

"No. Haven't you met a fifteen year old guy who drinks before? Doesn't Kurama drink?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, he should. It'll help him relax. Anyway… I came with this guy." Yusuke pointed at Raizen who was swaying in his seat. "His name's Raizen."

"Raizen? Like those dried up grapes? I hate those. They're gross."

"That's what we all said… And how can you not like raisins? They're good! You have no soul."

"Damn straight."

Raizen knocked Hiei over. "ARSONY IS NOT A WORD YOU BITCH! …And someone's sitting there by the way."

"Okay…" Hiei moved over a seat. "Who?"

"Mukuro. Well they call her… I mean… Shit. They call him Officer Eikenberry or something weird like that. His last name sounds like a pie… But I call him Mumu cause it pisses him off."

"You know her?"

"Man, you're slow today. And how do you know Mukuro's a she?" Yusuke asked.

"It was an accident," Hiei replied.

"Acci… Sick! You're a little pervert aren't you?"

"Shut up. Why're you in Boston anyway?"

"Raizen," Yusuke glanced at his ancestor who was screaming something about talking cacti. "Can't live with a clean conscience knowing that he could die any second. Weird way to stay secure but you come up with a better way then we'll talk. You?"

"Personal reasons."

"Who do you know in Boston? The only personal reason you should have is Kurama. I swear I'd have to bang my head against a wall if you came for Mukuro."

"You sure you wanna say that?"

"You bastard! What about Kurama then?"

"I… I don't love Kurama like everybody thinks. It's one sided on his part. He can get a girlfriend easy with his looks and I got mine right here. We can move on with our lives."

"So you told him? Cause he'd be kinda… You know… If he found out…"

"What's there to tell?"

"Come on. If Mukuro had a boyfriend, you'd want her to say something to you about it, wouldn't you?"

"Kurama's confused. He's fifteen… Sixteen. Whatever. He doesn't get how this works."

"Are you sure _you're_ not the one confused?"

"Are you sure _you're not_ confusing yourself with this?"

"You wanna fight, bitch?" He shook a fist at him.

"If you wanna get smashed…" Hiei was interrupted when Raizen threw a frying pan at his face.

"Touchdown for whatever my last name is!" Raizen cheered into the sky 'And the duck goes moo! …By the way you're fun-ny!" He poked Hiei's stomach.

Mukuro stared at the three. "I dunno if I should say anything right now…"

---

Mukuro mumbled something under her breath in German once she got home.

"What?" Hiei moaned and he dunked his head in a bucket of water.

"It's a full moon tomorrow."

"So?"

"Bad things happen on full moons."

"Are you being superstitious?"

"I met you on a full moon."

"What're you saying?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What're you doing?'

"That frying pan hurt."

"I fail to see how drowning yourself will solve your problem"

"You know what! Shut it and leave me to angst!"

"You already angst enough. You don't need silence for that."

"No one asked you."

"Actually you…"

"Screw you and your fake accent!"

"…No comment." She looked out the window. Then she thought she saw someone standing on a roof as if they were waiting for someone to come. She squinted at it then shrugged it off. _I must have drunk too much. …If that's possible for me._

"You okay?" Hiei asked as he gasped for air.

"…Nothing. I just… I need pie."

"Man, haven't you eaten enough? I'd swear you were doing it because you're pissed off at someone but that's just crazy talk!" He dunked his head back in the bucket.

_It's nice that you think so…_

---

"Okay, I lack anything better to do," Hiei said.

"Well, find something better to do! Go hide in the bushes and think about girls with cat ears or whatever fetishes you have or go angst!" Yusuke replied. "Me and Raizen have important business to attend to!" He crossed his arms and turned his back on him.

"Like what?"

"Like… Uh… Raizen, what do you do on Tuesdays?"

"I watch people. And then I think about what would happen if something exploded nearby and all their heads would just combust in a great explosion at the same time!" Raizen replied with the excitement of a schoolboy talking about his favorite action figure.

"…Basically you don't know," Hiei said.

"Yeah. Pretty much… But I think it's the full moon. It'd be best if we stay clear of here. Bad things happen on full moons.'

_Is that where she got it?_

"And…" He walked away.

"That was overly dramatic…" Yusuke sighed. "He better not be talking about werewolves cause those don't exist at all you know!"

Suddenly Raizen jumped on Hiei's back. "Surprise butt sex! I was right! The aura does come from you Hiroshi!"

"Get off me!" Hiei screamed and threw him to he nearly hit Yusuke. "And it's Hiei! Not Hiro! Hache-i-e-i!"

"….In Germany they would pronounce your name funny. Like Hee-i."

"What-" He turned around to yell at the person behind him. "QUIT BREATHING DOWN MY NECK YOU A- HOLY…!"

It was a demon with grey hair that was tied back. His eyes were black and burning with a hidden fire. His face was also covered with piercings.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Shigure."

"Hiroshi." Shigure's eyes also narrowed.

"It's Hiei you asswipe."

"Whatever. Hiei."

"Shigure."

"Hiei."

"Shigure."

"Hiei…"

"Dammit! Someone say _my_ name!" Yusuke cried.

Raizen's eyes narrowed. "Yusuke."

"So… Seven years and I finally find your dumb ass…" Shigure smirked. "How bout that duel?"

"About that…" Hiei mumbled. "I kinda…" The swordsman picked him up and threw him into an alley. "Help me!"

"Holy hell! Gay sex!" Raizen screamed and ran away, leaving Yusuke to giggle about orgies for a second.

---

"THE BRITISH ARE COMING…! OR GOING! …OR WHICHEVER WAY I'M GOING!" a voice screamed in the distance.

_That was weird…_ Mukuro thought as he looked in the direction the voice came from. She continued to stare at the waves. Suddenly she heard footsteps coming. She glanced over for a second and looked back at the waves.

_That guy… He's a weird looking one…_

He had long black hair that fell halfway down his back. Sticking out of his hair were six horns. His eyes were closed, probably sewn shut. His face looked really calm like he was sleeping. At first glance, one might think he was from another planet.

He stopped right by Mukuro. If he could see, he would have been staring at her.

"You need any help?" Mukuro asked.

He stayed silent and reached out. He touched her hair and ran a finger near her right eye. His fingers wandered lower until…

Mukuro pistol whipped him. "What the hell?!"

The blind man recovered quickly though he probably had a bleeding bruise on the top of his head. Actually, he looked like he was enjoying it now. "I say, what's your name?"

_He feels up on me and then he asks my name. That's twisted… And why'd he say I say like I don't know who's talking..? Come to think of it he sounds like… No it couldn't be…_ "Why? If you're gonna kill me I'm James K. Polk. You can't kill a president. That's not cool."

"No! Of course not! It's…" He shook his head.

"If you must know it's Mukuro. Mukuro W. P. Von Eikenberry Volks Klopstock Herder Eckhart Goethe Schiller Faust Schlegel Korner Arndt Ruckert Arhim Grimm Holderlin Kleist Eichendorfgf Morike Heine Gutzkow Freligrath Herwegh Hebbel Storm Schleswigdor Rosegger Nietzsche Busch Hoffman-Donner Hauptman Zuckmayer Strauss Kaiser Toller Fritz Werfel Bretcht Durrenmatt Wasserman Mann Messe Kafka Broch Junger Zweg Ditzen Fallada Rilke George Kolhenheyer Bull Gunter Lenz Krolow Kirsch Kunze Kant Dlinzdorf Conrad Pope Gwendal Adams Jefferson Thompson Nemur Pippin Shakespeare Stuart Chamberlain Jones Dyck Reynolds Romney Sandby Blake Ruskin Brown Morris Hilton Bacon Robinson Baron the second."

_My… My brain! It hurts!_ "So you're…!" He smiled then fell on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

"Huh?"

**End chapter 36**

Notes:  
1. Fifteen year olds who drink- In this time period there was no legal age to drink. It came in the 1920's when alcohol was illegal. But of course there were smugglers around. Hee…  
2. Hache-i-e-i- reference to the Spanish alphabet; it means H-i-ei. I'd give you the whole thing but that takes to much space.

**Extra uh… !6 I think  
**Hiei looked at Kurama. "Kurama."  
Kurama looked at him. "Yeah?"  
"I love you!"  
"Omg! Yay! Let's dance!"  
"Omg yeah!"  
Both danced. Heart.

Yeah. That went fast but whatever. Yomi finally appears! Hell yes!

Gotta go! Til next update!


	37. Fight on!

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 37**

"So you're…!" He gasped with a smile and fell on one knee. He kissed her hand. "Will you marry me?"

"Wh… What?" Long blank stare. "…A… You realize you're talking to a man right?"

"But your voice is feminine! And I recognize the name! I'm certain it's you!"

"Yeah. Sure… I know some gay men with effeminate voices too. And if that's the way you swing that bar's on the other side of town."

"I'm not gay! DAMN THE GAYS AND THEIR UNNATURALNESS!"

"Okay. I see where this is going. I don't know you so no, Whatever-the-hell-your-name-is, I won't marry you. Furthermore there could be other Mukuros out there. It could be a common name in other parts."

"You don't know me?!" Melodramatic shock. "By the way, Mukuro isn't a common name."

"Am I supposed to recognize you? Last time I checked I didn't know any six eared, sickly pale British men."

_I'm not sickly pale…_ Mental whine. "But how can you not! We were almost lovers!"

"Lovers, huh? I don't recall."

"But..." Emo aura… "How can you not?"

"I'll convince you I don't know you. Tell me your name."

"Uh… The whole thing?"

"Yeah? If you're a John I'll get you mixed up with the fifty billion King Johns."

"Uh… Yomi Cromwell Orwell Locke Malthus Thompson Paine Tolken Rowling Craven Hawthorne Parrish Smith Elliot Cook Huber Sabat Washington Adams Jefferson Monroe Jackson Van Buren Tyler Polk Tailor Franklin Pierce Buchanan Lincoln Johnson Grant Garfield Minkinley Wilson Eisenhower Bush Clinton Reagan Ford Nixon Carter Roosevelt Fillmore."

_Goddamn. I thought I had a long name!_ _Wait... I remember…_

"So you do recognize me."

"No. I'm just amazed that you had a long ass name."

Shrug. "I'll be back… When you least expect it." He walked away.

More long blank stares. "…Is he… Is he stalking me?"

All of a sudden Raizen pounced on her. "MUKURO! The Italian guy's having hot gay sex in the alley with a guy with piercings everywhere! It's like holy hell!"

Mukuro gave him a deer in the headlights look.

---

"So that duel. I've taught you well, haven't I?" Shigure asked in a mocking tone.

_I fail to see how those two were related…_ Hiei thought before he said, "Uh… Sure… About that whole thing… I kinda haven't been using my sword so…"

"Ha. So you claim defeat then? You wuss."

"I have better things to do than be crammed in here with the likes of you."

Shigure threw his ring sword, nearly missing Hiei's head. "You all should respect your teacher, kid. I have more experience that you. You got a death wish?"

"You got one yourself?"

Shigure held up a hand as if summoning something to it but Hiei paid no attention to it.

"Okay. Assuming that I decide to duel with you, how would you fight me if you have no weapon?"

"I suggest you all turn around if you all don't want to fight."

"Why? There's…" He turned and as he did, the sword come back, gashing him stomach before reaching Shigure's hand. "What the hell?"

"Well, assuming that you all were going to fight… Why would I throw something if it weren't coming back?" Shigure smirked at him. "I think your outta practice, kid."

Hiei flipped him out and started to walk away.

"Yeah. Run home to your girlfriend or whoever it is that takes care of you. Then they can kiss it and make it feel all better and bottle feed you and then change your diaper."

He froze and turned to Shigure, death-glaring him. He lunged forward and swung for his throat but he missed. He swung again, aiming to draw blood from his teacher's neck again. Another miss. Same swing again. Miss again.

Shigure swung which would have sliced Hiei's head off if Hiei never crouched to dodge the swung. Hiei jabbed his sword upward but his teacher stepped back to avoid it. Hiei sprung forward and grazed Shigure's cheek.

Shigure swung downward but he missed. Hiei swung in a half circle that got Shigure across the chest. He lunged forward again, feeling he was lucky enough to get more blood only to be slashed across the stomach again. The smaller demon stumbled backwards to avoid his teacher's downward strike.

The teacher swung downward again but Hiei blocked it before it made contact with his flesh. Another swing from Shigure. Another clash. Another clash. Another clash. Hiei swung but again his sword clashed with Shigure's. Shigure forced his backwards and when he saw his student hit the ground his swung downward.

Hiei barely blocked the shot by holding his sword horizontally, his fingers bleeding from holding the tip of the blade.

Shigure tried to force the other man's sword down but he failed. Hiei refused to admit defeat.

Hiei held on tighter. He started to tire out from what felt like hours of pressure. His left hand felt like it was about to be sliced in two. _I have to get this bastard off me._

"So… You ready to give up? If you do I'll be generous and just left you walk away with battle scars," Shigure said.

_I think I can get him if…_ "Hell no…" Hiei panted. "You call shit like that a duel? How bout if I slice open a hole in your head and shove this rock in there and call that a Jagan Eye?"

Death glare. "What are you all saying?"

_I got you!_ Hiei shoved Shigure off once his guard was down. He lunged for the kill but Shigure stepped to the side. Just when hit was about to turn Shigure sliced a gash in Hiei's back.

Hiei gave himself no time to recover. He jabbed his sword right into Shigure's abdomen.

It was all frozen for a while.

Hiei smirked with triumph. He twisted his blade to make sure it hurt.

"You… Bastard! Dirty… Bastard!" Shigure yelped. His hands went towards the blade on reflex but he restrained himself, knowing what would happen if he did grab it.

"I'll let you live if you admit defeat," Hiei replied smugly.

Shigure's eyes widened as if taking this in for a second before he started laughing in spite of the blood the may have started rushing out of the wound because of that. "You… You're such a… Goddamn bastard! I… I can't believe you!"

Hiei twisted the blade some more. 'The hell's your problem?"

"You're such an asshole! I could just wring your little… Heh heh…"

Twisted it again. "You expect less from your enemy?"

Shigure kicked his student in the stomach and forced the blade out of his flesh though it torn out a small apart of his organs.

Hiei lunged forward, aiming for the now exposed area. Shigure swung a diagonal half circle which would have sliced Hiei in half if he never slid to the ground in time.

Hiei jabbed his sword upward but only succeeded in slicing the piercing on Shigure's forehead in half. He lunged forward again and tried to jab his blade into Shigure's abdomen again but he missed. He swung a half circle to the left, missing, and then pivoting more to the left, he jabbed his sword forward into Shigure's bicep. At the same time Shigure slashed him through his right bicep, a blow that almost got right through to his bone.

Shigure's blade exited Hiei's flesh and swung for his neck. Hiei crouched to dodge the blow and jabbed his blade into his teacher's abdomen again. He pulled it out, taking out more of Shigure's intestines. At the same time Shigure noticed something fall out of his pocket. He stared at it, trying to place.

"I remember another reason I was looking for you…" Shigure mumbled at the same time Hiei stabbed him in the solar plexus.

Hiei stopped. "What…?" He pulled the blade out before Shigure could say anything and pointed it at his neck to make sure he wouldn't be injured to badly if he were being fooled. "Tell me."

"That thing over there…" Shigure's head rolled to the side. His breath was cutting off.

_He's too weak to try anything… Goddammit. I think I am too. _He started to feel nausea come to him as he stumbled toward the shining object. It was vaguely familiar to him. Wait… Now he remembered. It was his…

_My… My mom's… _Hiei turned to the dying demon. "You. Where the... Where the hell did you get this?"

Shigure coughed, blood dripping from his mouth. He watched it run in rivers away from him before he answered. "I saw a guy two days ago… He arrested some guy… Guy dropped something… Picked it up… Looked like he recognized it… Saw me and…" He coughed again.

"What'd he do?"

"He… Looked like recognized me… He… gave me… thing… told me to give it… To Hiei… You all… only Hiei… know… give to you all… take…" He started to gargle.

"What'd he look like?"

"Red hair…. Blue eyes… German… Think… Maybe British… Don't know… You all know…?"

"Yeah…" Hiei picked it up. _Doesn't sound like something she'd do… Why…?_

"Freeze!" a voice called. Hiei turned to see Mukuro, pistol in her hands, ready to fire. "What the hell was going on here?"

Hiei stumbled out.

Mukuro sighed and kneeled by Shigure. _This is…_ "Don't move. I'll get you some help."

"No… Don't return favor…" Shigure put a hand on her chest. "WE get beat up… Cause of same guy…'

"I do it everyday for everybody. He isn't special…" She turned her back on him. "What made you think he was?"

"Sure, lady… S… u… re…"

---

"So what happened to Hiei?" Raizen asked, waving his arms around so he would hit Yusuke.

"I dunno. He just walked away. How am I supposed to know?" Mukuro replied.

"You could've followed him! I wanted to know what gay sex it like in case I get ass raped!"

"Don't count on being ass raped, Raizen."

"Why not? Are you implying that I'm not hot?"

"No. I'm just telling you not to count on it."

"Whatever! You should've followed him even if you didn't know I wanted to know what gay sex was like!"

"He'll turn up when he gets hungry or wants to go to sleep. …By the way… Do you hear a rumbling noise or am I the only one?" Suddenly Yomi appeared out of nowhere and tackled her.

"What the…?! He has six ears! Holy hell!" Yusuke screamed. "Mukuro, what's with your friend? He's all screwed up!"

"He's not a friend!" Mukuro flung him into a random wall. "He's an annoying pest. I'd kill him but that would just look bad for someone in law enforcement."

Yomi stood up. Emo aura. "How can you be so cruel? We're supposed to be married soon…"

"Married? Since when? I distinctly remember turning you down."

"Yeah… But I was going to ask you ten years ago but…" Whine….

_What's that have to do with anything? _"Forget I asked."

"So you'll…?"

"If I said no before, why would I say yes now?"

"Because I'd do anything for you!"

"Anything huh? Go to the Pacific Ocean, find Atlantis draw a picture of Leonardo da Vinci in drag and rape a squirrel with a steel dildo in twelve seconds flat."

_What the f…?_ "…Except that. But why not?'

"Oh you read my mind even if you would do it. I'm… already married."

"To who?!"

"To… Uh… Give me two letters off the top of your head." ("He's got gonna fall for that," Yusuke sighed.)

"J and C." ("He did?")

"JC. Give me a minute. Johnny Cade!"

"Johnny Jade? Well, I say… He may have won the battle but he has not won the war!" He fired a suddenly existing rifle into the sky and ran away screaming. "THE BRITISH ARE COMING!"

"What a freak…" Yusuke said with a long blank stare.

Mukuro shook her head.

---

On the way home, she saw Hiei laying in a bloody mess in the middle of the street. She picked him and dragged him home with her.

"Why…?' He mumbled.

"Because you look like hell right now. I'm not all heartless to leave you in the street like that," Mukuro replied.

"No…"

"Enough. Just rest."

"Aye…"

**End chapter 37**

Notes:  
1. Yomi's name- some of my teacher's names. Some writers. His last name was from Oliver Cromwell who led the English Civil War. And at some point I threw in a whole bunch of president's names.

Yes. I know that kinda sucked but cut me some slack here. My week sucked. I puked on Monday night. Tuesday I had to miss school even though I can't afford to miss a day. Yesterday I suffered from a panic attack. So now I have depression, nose bleeds from the heat in summer, inferiority complexes, insomnia, and now… NOW panic attacks! Goddamn it!

Review please…


	38. Camisado

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 38**

"So how long were you planning to stay in Boston?" Mukuro asked one morning.

"Mm… Probably til the end of June I guess," Hiei answered. He smirked at her. "Why? You want me to stay longer cause I can…"

"Save me a headache. You're a strong guy. You proved that. I mean, you're already walking even though you have a gash that's almost to your bone in your arm."

Hiei frowned at her. Long silence. "You ever consider getting married and having kids?"

Death glare. "What are you implying, Hiei?"

"**Shit! Shit! **I think I said something I shouldn't have…!" Hiei waved his arms around like he was trying to fly or something. "Okay… Forget it! Mukuro put the knife down! Down! On the table!"

Death glare. Evil aura. "I'll just pretend this whole thing never happened…" She sighed irritably. "I'm off."

"Alright!" He kissed her on the cheek.

_Is it me or did that not feel right?_ Mukuro thought as she walked out.

_What's with her?_ Hiei thought. _I wonder…_

---

"What did I tell you about following me around on duty?" Mukuro growled. "I learned from you when you were arrested that too much of you would make my brain explode. It's nice that you want to stalk me but I think it's creepy."

"It's not that! It's just… I dunno. It seems like you've been hiding something from me all of a sudden…" Hiei replied, his eyes shifting. "…Have you been seeing other men?"

_Should've seen that one coming…_ "Trust me. There's nothing to hide and chances are if I'm seeing another guy, I would tell you. I'm not that screwed up. If I'm screwed up enough not to tell you, you wouldn't see me as much."

"I'm not entirely convinced that…"

"Just find something else to do! I swear you have more problems than a girl." She froze. "You hear something?'

"What?"

Yomi appeared out of nowhere and tackled Mukuro. "MUKUROOOOOOO!" Hearts.

"I knew it! There is another guy!" Hiei feel on his knees. "**Why?! And why such a freaky looking guy! He has six ears for God's sake! And he's sickly pale! The hell?!"**

"It's not like you think it is, Hiei! I would shoot myself if it were!" Mukuro growled, shoving Yomi away from her.

"Uh-huh… I see how it is…" Teary eyes.

"So you must be Johnny Cade!" Yomi pointed the rifle at Hiei's head. Problem was…

"**You're holding it backwards, fucktard,**" Hiei said in Spanish.

"Huh?"

"**Ugh. Screw it.**" He pulled the trigger.

"Did you just…?" Mukuro was dumbfounded.

"He'll be fine in the next scene," Hiei replied. **"Stupid bastard.**"

---

"Dude, they're looking at us…" Yusuke whispered to Raizen.

"The readers can't look at us. We're words. They look at our names but not us," Raizen replied as if that was supposed make sense.

"Whatever makes this scene worthwhile…"

"Hey, you got more time in here. You do it."

"Fine… Uh… This chapter is dedicated to those who died in Star Wars." Yusuke pulled a paper out of nowhere. "DarthVader, Obe Wan Kanobe, whoever Jim Smit played, Unfortunately Jar Jar Binx did not die, everybody who died in that one explosion, and everybody else." Long silence. "Raizen, say something."

"How bout we go to the Alamo and steal Santa Anna's leg and go to Mexico?"

"Raizen, Sana Anna's still around and still has both legs."

"Damn it!" He threw a brick at him. More long silence. "Yusuke…?" Pokes with a stick. "Oh… He'll be fine in the next scene."

---

"H… How could you…?" Hiei whined.

"Look you!" Mukuro growled. "If there was anything going on between us I wouldn't be letting you touch me, would I? Have I been getting much sleep since you came? No! Get over yourself. And have you looked at the guy? Not something I want to wake up in the morning with."

"So who's this Johnny Cade?"

"He's not a real person, okay? The guy proposed to me so I told him I married Johnny Cade so he couldn't marry me. Of course that plan backfired…"

"Okay. I'm somewhat relieved."

"Why should you be? There are only four people that know I'm a woman, counting in you and Yomi, mind you. Guys won't come on to me and you know I'm not flirting with the girls."

"Well…"

"You're not much of a decent guy yourself."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You're just… You."

"What is his 'Long Johnson' bigger than mine?"

"His long…? You sick bastard! What does it matter! You're bringing back bad memories!" She banged a fist against her forehead.

"What? You did it with him?"

"No… Just... Just drop it."

"..So… Is it?"

"It doesn't matter! If you want to know, go watching him when he's peeing or something. Just leave me out of that! I don't care."

All of a sudden, Yomi hopped out of Mukuro's glass. He stumbled around for a moment. 'Haha! I found you!" Hearts. "It took me about five hundred times but…" He glomped some guy and started saying dirty things to him.

"Yomi, you're hugging a guy. And how the hell did you fit in there?" Mukuro sighed.

"Oh… Very painfully…." He stumbled over to her. "God, I'm as randy as a billy goat."

"That's nice…" She shoved him away.

"That must have been Johnny Cade." He flung his arms around like a bug stuck on its back.

"For the last time, you drunken…" Hiei eyed him. "Whatever the hell it is you are, I am not Johnny Cade. I'm Hiei Jaganshi. Hache-i-e-i Jota-a-ge-a-ene-ese-hache-i. There are no C's in there."

"Omg… Where is Johnny Cade…? Must shoot…" If he had eyes, he probably would have done the swirly-eye thing.

"I'm giving you ten seconds before I do something weird." Ten seconds passed. "Oh you asked for it, bitch!" Hiei grabbed him by the hair and kissed him. "And I hope you feel disgusted with yourself, too!"

"Whoa… That was…"

Hiei threw him across the room.

"Hiei… I think you need to calm down," Mukuro sighed irritably.

Death glare.

"Ugh…" She started walking out.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

The red head flipped him off and walked out.

---

"Don't tell me you're enjoying all this!" Hiei growled that night.

Mukuro groaned and folded her arms across her chest. "Don't tell me you're actually getting jealous!"

"Maybe…" He folded his arms too.

"Get over yourself. You're acting like a five year old kid."

"His hair flows in the wind for God's sake!"

"Raizen's hair flows in the wind! Do I hear you bitching about it? No! Would you feel better if his hair didn't flow in the wind?"

"Slightly."

She felt like banging her head on a wall. "You…! Why do you care anyway? I'm not really yours nor do I want to be. The most affection I get from you is when we're in bed which is a bad time for me. I prefer that while I'm awake.

"Well…"

"I don't care if I needed it after fourteen years almost! Since you came, I haven't really gotten a lot of sleep!"

"So what? You like him better now just cause he's British and humps tables when he's drunk."

"I fail to see your point. Both of you drive me up the wall."

"Well, if it bugs you why didn't you say anything before?"

"Goddamn you! I feel like Hanukkah early so I can light myself on fire with the candles and while I burn I'll scream Mazel tov! If not that I'll just kill myself by filling myself up with sugar so my diabetes can kill me after I let the circulation cut off in my toes!"

Long blank stare. "You're Jewish? And diabetic? …I think you might wanna see a doctor for this kinda thing…"

Mukuro started banging her head against the wall in frustration.

"Hey, you know you're…."

"BLOODY HELL! YES I KNOW I'M BLEEDING DAMMIT!" She fell to her knees. "I could've ended up with any guy but I get stuck with a stupid bastard like you and an insane dumb ass like Yomi. Out of all…" She clutched a hand to her mouth, eyes widening in fear. Nausea came over her…

"Hey, are you alright? **What's wrong?**"

"**I'll just…**" She fainted.

"Ey!" Hiei rolled her on her back but then he saw her palm was covered with blood. Blood was dripping from her lips. "Dios mio!"

Hiei ran out.

---

"'Ey man," Yusuke greeted Hiei who was sitting outside of Mukuro's house after pacing back and forth for a couple of hours.

"**Hey.**" was his silent reply. "**What'd they say was wrong?**"

He took in the words for a while. "They said it was an ulcer."

"Ulcer?"

"I dunno either. They said it was like a hole in your stomach." Yusuke cringed at the thought. "I think when that happens your stomach starts screwing up and then you throw up blood."

"**The cause?"**

Yusuke sighed and answered in Spanish, "**They said it was stress. Must've been bad. Raizen freaked out over it. She never coughed up blood til now."**

"**Did they say anything about a cure?"**

"**Well, she could start by not drinking so damn much! I know she's German but Goddamn! She doesn't need that much to drink! Other than that… It would be best for her to stay away from the source of stress. If worse comes to worse she might have to quit her job all together… You know she's diabetic?"**

"**The source of stress. Any ideas?"**

"**Hmmm… Well she says her job is very stressful Dunno if she means it but… I guess Yomi. You know he follows her around and stuff. I'd be stressed too if someone did that to me. Lucky the bastard went back to London. Save us all a headache."**

Hiei sighed and put his hands in his pockets. He paced back and forth again.

Yusuke put a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. "**It'll be fine. I know it."**

"**Sure."**

"**I had Raizen tell her boss she'll be in bed for a few days. Don't pull anything on her right now though. She'll kick your ass the first chance she'll get when she's alright."**

"**I know, I know."**

"…**Why're we still talking in Spanish?"**

---

It was pretty late at night-probably close to midnight. Hiei pulled a chair to Mukuro's bedsides and stared at her for a while, guilt rising from the pit of his stomach. He put a hand on her chest to make sure she was still breathing, fearing that she might die.

Mukuro twitched. 'What are you doing?"

Hiei held a candle to her. "I got you a candle so you won't have to waste your own. Now you can burn yourself if I piss you off again."

"You... You idiot…"

"I promised myself I'll hold back this time. Til you start feeling better."

"If you feel guilty about all this it's not all your fault. It's mostly mine…"

"If you die?"

"It's only an ulcer. You should worry about my diabetes…"

Hiei shook his head and prayed under his breath. 'I'll stay til the end of June. And if… If you do a lot better after I'm gone then I'll just stay away from you. I'll do it even if it kills me."

"Man, now I'm starting to feel like the bad guy here…" She rolled over so she could face him. But she was already starting to feel tired…

Hiei nodded and laid beside her…

**End chapter 38**

Notes:  
1. Santa Anna-the dictator of Mexico. He would lead Mexico until he gets over thrown in 1855. Unless I'm thinking of a war… I'm pretty sure it was until 1855.  
2. Hache-i-e-i Jota-a-ge-a-ene-ese-hache-i-more spelling using the Spanish alphabet. It's basically H-i-e-i J-a-g-a-n-s-h-i  
3. About diabetics-Okay what was the deal about Mukuro mentioning her toes with her diabetes. Well, apparently diabetics get bad circulation in their toes so they have to massage them and stuff.  
4. Dios mio-I've looked in the dictionary and the definition I got didn't work. Basically it means something like "My God!"

Yeah. I ended on a Hiei/ Mukuro-ish note. And that's not the fandom I'm trying to please. So sorry to diabetic Mukuro haters out there! And Jewish ones for that matter. I was originally going to make her asthmatic but I was too stupid to realize that she could run even with asthma. She just needed to avoid things that start attacks….

Here's an extra… **Extra 20??  
**So there Kurama walked down the stairs, a hand on the steel handrail. He took each step as if each were an accomplishment. He glanced at a crack as if it were a burden but stepped on anyway. He was on the last step, standing proudly… Until someone shoved a box of mints in his mouth.

Review please.


	39. Over My Head

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 39**

**July 7**

Jin sat in front of his house staring out in space. _Man, things sure are boring when everybody's gone... I wish Touya didn't have so much to do today... It gets boring entertaining the town for a smelly boot... _He

sighed. Suddenly he saw something move in the corner of his eye.

_Hey that looks kinda like..._ Jin squinted at the distant object. _Wait.. I think... It is!_

He leapt and flew towards the object, knocking it down when his body made contact with it. "KURAMA! It's been FOREVER! I didn't think I'd ever see you again! Jin was getting bored!"

Kurama smiled after catching the breath Jin knocked out of him. "Hi Jin. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah! I think you grew a wee bit!"

"Oh! Kurama!" Touya waved. He pointed at the person standing to his right. "This is John. You probably know him as JJ or JJ Thompson and stuff of that

nature. He was stalking me when I was coming here so yeah. That's how he ended up here."

Kurama held out his hand. "I'm Shuichi Minamino. Everyone calls me Kurama."

John shook his hand. "A pleasure... Where'd they get Kurama from Shuichi?"

"Long story..." Wait... Isn't he supposed to be dead?

"I was scared there for a minute. I thought you were gonna kiss me! Isn't that what they do here? Or am I thinking of Britain?"

"Actually it's the women who greet each other by kissing. I'm not sure about Britain..." Touya replied. "Just for the record, he's an American."

"Hey, shouldn't Hiei be with you?" Jin asked Kurama suddenly.

"No. He said he was going to Massachusetts and would be back in late June. Huh. So you mean to tell me he didn't come back? I wonder why... I hope he wasn't arrested again," the red head answered.

"John, who is it that you mess with in Boston again?" Touya asked.

"Eikenberry? H... How's that make sense? Hiei's straight, right?" John replied questioningly.

"Actually he says he's bi, but whatever. Think about it. Who else does he know in Boston? No one. That time you took him there was the first time he was there. And he was arrested almost the second you got there so he couldn't see anyone else."

"I remember him saying something about having a female friend in Boston. If that's her... That doesn't make much sense..." Kurama added. "Are you sure that Eikenberry person is a man?"

"Well, I haven't watched him pee yet..." John mumbled.

"Hiei found a new best friend?!" Jin cried melodramatically. "Jin feels left out now..."

"What're we getting all suspicious about? It's not like he's married or anything so he's not cheating on anyone. So he made friends with Eikenberry whose first name eludes me but I'm pretty sure it's a really British name like Albert or Alicious. Or was it obviously German like Wilhelm or Otto von Bismarck? Or did it start with a M? Yeah it was a M and it sounded kinda Asian... Anyway... Maybe this turn of events might benefit us. I mean every time the guy gets mad he could go and..." John was interrupted.

"You imply they're not just friends." Touya shook his head.

"Gotta let a boy have his fun."

Sigh. "After that last trip to the hospital you morals have gone outta whack... If you had any to begin with."

Shrug. "What can I say? He's twenty-seven and out of my control. It doesn't matter if he got himself a girlfriend, er, boyfriend if he didn't have anyone else top begin with."

"Sure." Touya glanced at Kurama.

Kurama stared at the two, bewilderment in his eyes. He glanced at Jin who was staring at him.

"Is something wrong with Kurama?" Jin asked.

"No... Just thinking..." Kurama mumbled slowly.

"I know let's go eat potatoes!" He grabbed Kurama by the arm and flew so Kurama could keep up with him.

_Five minutes and I'm already confused... _Kurama thought.

---

**July 16**

Jin was floating high above the town in deep thought. _All this confusion... _He shook his head as if it would make this headache go away. _Not again... Not again! I can't go back! No... I can't! No! I'm gonna solve this one! I'm gonna go find Hiei and see if it's true or my name's not Yankee Doodle Dandy! ...Well actually it's not but I wish it were my name._

He went upside down and stared at everything below him. _But where to start? What if he already left Boston? Hey, look. Someone's coming... It looks like... It is! _He flew down and tackled Hiei who was growling under his breath now.

"**What the hell, Jin?**!" Hiei hissed in Spanish.

The wind master didn't give him the answer he was looking for. "Wherewereyou? WereyouinBostonandisittruethatyouhaveagirlfriendinBoston? Imeanwhatthehell? WhataboutKurama? IthoughtyoulikedhimandwherewereyouthatkeptyoufromcominghomeinJunelikeKuramas aidyouwouldandbythewayyounevertoldmethatJohnwasaliveandherewewerefeelingbadt hathewasdeadandeverything! Andwhoisitthatyounowand... And...! Let me take a

breath..."

"Goddamn! Slow down! What's with you and for that matter where's the fire?"

Jin gasped for breath. "John's alive?"

"I guess I forgot to..."

"Is it true that you have a girlfriend in Boston?"

"...I guess you can call her that... But we really don't know much about her but hell I like where we go a lot of the time..."

"Say it isn't so! I thought you liked Kurama!"

"I'm serious when I say I'm bi but..."

"It is cause of his age? Is it cause he's sixteen? I knew it! You'll only do older people! That's why you don't like Botan even though she was close to

violating you! I mean when you're fourteen..."

"Okay! Just for the record what the hell does Botan have to do with anything?"

"I think she still likes you."

"What makes you think that?"

"She smiles..."

"She's always smiling! I asked her and she said she used opium even when she didn't have any pain! That's probably what made her screwy!"

"So... Did you tell Kurama about her?"

Hiei shrugged. "Why? He'll grow out of it."

"Hiei Jaganshi, how could you?!"

"Whatever, O' Riley."

"But Kurama would be super sad and stuff..."

Touya suddenly appeared. "What're you two conspiring about?"

"Nya! Hiei's gotta girlfriend in Boston and he says he doesn't like Kurama anymore!" Jin waved his arms around.

"Why care? Not your problem?"

"Tou-yaaaaa... When'd you get so mean?! I remember you used to protect Hiei and everything when he was a kid and now you're all mean and stuff!"

He put a hand in Jin's face. "Hiei, John wanted to talk to you about something. And while we're still talking about foxes, Kurama wanted to see you. He said you promised to meet him earlier this month. What kept you?"

"Thought you said it wasn't your problem," Hiei shot back.

"Better to rehearse it."

"Fine. Something came up."

"Something meaning...?"

"She coughed up blood and I had to stay with her to help her through it."

"And may I ask who 'she' is? Are you afraid I'll have a problem with this 'she' is? It doesn't matter who 'she' is but for God's sake let her have an identity!"

"You've turned into a real asshole, you know that? What do you care anyway?"

"Would you say the same to Kurama if he asked? Or would you just have your fun with him because he doesn't know what you were doing to him? Just because you're pretty much taking care of him doesn't mean you can screw him up! He was worried about your dumb ass and you reassure him by screwing some girl in Massachusetts! And does she know you're with Kurama, too? Did your brain stop working when I was in China?!" Touya curled his hands into fists. "I thought I was done yelling at you for doing stupid shit when you thought John died! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Touya... Maybe you should..." Jin tried to break in between the two. _No... Not now... Not like this..._

Touya grabbed Jin's shoulder and shoved him away. "You think you're being tormented by everyone in the town? So you're returning the favor to Kurama and you think he gives a damn?"

"You know growing up, I thought you were the best one I had to help me up next to John. What the hell happened?" Hiei reached in his pocket for his gun.

"No.. Don't..." Jin mumbled breathlessly only to be ignored.

"At that moment, Touya thrust a knife into Hiei's left shoulder at the same time he was grazed by Hiei's bullet. "So atone for it already!"

"JUST STOP ALREADY!" the wind master burst into tears and flew straight home, not wanting to see more.

---

John's ear twitched. "Oh man. Jin's screaming. Either something bad happened or Hiei told him that the bogeyman was gonna ass rape him."

Thump!

Kurama ran to the door. "Might be Jin."

Just when he got to the door, it swung open, revealing Hiei the knife still in his shoulder. The small demon clutched it, cringing with pain before he fainted.

---

Hiei sat up in bed and looked around, feeling lost. He saw Kurama was standing over him, looking grave.

"I talked to Jin a little while ago. He said you and Touya fought. What'd you do to him?" Kurama asked.

"Nothing," Hiei replied quickly.

"Must have been pretty bad if it made Jin cry like that."

_Jin crying? I was so caught up, I never noticed... _He looked out the window.

"Man! You still stayed the trouble maker you used to be, son!" John yelled from the hall. "I bet you're doing this to me because I'm actually from Norway!"

Hiei groaned. "And John, you're not from Norway!"

"As far as you now I'm not!"

The demon rolled out of bed. "I'm going to work."

"Not with that wound," Kurama replied like a mother would.

"It's fine."

Kurama poked it and some blood dripped out.

"Can I get another wound? This one has blood on it."

"Ugh... Look, your wound may heal in four hours but not Jin. He won't." Kurama walked out.

"All right! More male bonding!" John somersaulted into the room. "Man, for Youko Kurama, he sure is nice!"

"If you say so. Youko's a bastard," Hiei replied as he laid back down.

"Look. Don't mess up too bad. Cause you can't turn back."

"How do I know I have?"

"Trust me, you'll know."

"Me and kurama... It just can't mix, okay. Never told anyone this... No one could ever love a beast unless they are an outcast themselves..."

"...Someone should write a song about you called 'My Angty Son'. It would go something like a boom-boom chicka chika boom-boom... A boom boom chicka chicka boom boom..."

"John just shut up and get out."

"Oh. Okay." Pwned.

**end chapter 39**

Notes:  
1. Use of opium- At this time opium was THE drug. People took it like we take Tylenol or whatever painkiller you use. If you had a headache, bring out the opium! Woman PMSing? Opium was there. Yeah.

Sorry the ending was rushed this one and the next chapter aren't my favorites. I hate how I glazed over heavy angst... But chapter 41 gets kinda humorous so it's cool. I just now realized that maybe Mukuro could be Irish what with the red hair... Why didn't I think of that before...?

Extra! From Yusuke the Detective (Some other fanfic I did. Don't ask how this came to be...)  
"You forgot this comic book. I wonder what it is..." Shura looked at the cover. "(Bleep!)" Blink blink. He opened it and Shuichi came out. "Augh!"  
"That's what you get for trying to read a dirty book, Shura!" Raizen cried.

Reviews are appreciated!


	40. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 40**

"So what'd you see in Boston?" Kurama asked. "I've never seen anything outside of California or Mexico so…"

Hiei raised an eyebrow at Kurama. _Shit! I just now realized that I don't even know what's in Boston! Quick! Come up with a lie! What random landmarks are there…?! _"Well, lots of things! There's the Place where the Boston Tea Party was and Bunker Hill and the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty and that tower that can't sit straight and the birthplace of Kaiser Wilhelm II even though he's not even thought of nor is his country yet and…"

"Hiei. The Statue of Liberty is in New York. And I know the Eiffel Tower's in France. And that leaning tower in the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy."

"Yeah, well…"

"Forget it then."

"You think I'm doing something weird, don't you?"

"You're always doing something weird. That's jut the way you are." Kurama walked out of the room.

Hiei stared out the door in deep thought. There was something about Kurama that reminded him of Mukuro. Maybe it was just how they liked to keep things quick. Maybe it was the intelligence they seemed to have locked away. It was something…. Hiei couldn't put his finger on it. But they were almost too different at the same time.

Kurama always seemed to be calm. He was just the comforting type of guy that you would turn to to calm yourself down. It was like he was his own ray of light. Hiei found it hard to remember a time Kurama was ever really mad. There really wasn't such a time as far as he remembered. He just figured that he just laughed it off. It was always Youko who was throwing death threats at him. (Or so he thought.)

Mukuro seemed the opposite sometimes. She was always brooding about something, something Hiei could never figure out. It was just like she took everybody else around her for granted. When she did get mad (which happened once a day when Hiei was around) she would A) yell at you (most of the time in German for some unfathomable reason), B) throw death threats at you, and/or C) go completely insane. (Hiei is _still _trying to figure out how that works. He also noticed that when it was Yusuke or Raizen that made her snap, she just smacked them or death glared them. He liked to think he was getting the good part of the deal.)

Hiei sighed. _I'm confusing myself._ "I'll go see how Jin's doing…." He walked out.

---

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Jin didn't stop packing his things like the sound was too distant to hear. He sighed sorrowfully. He wished he didn't have to do it, but he promised himself that if things had gone bad like they were now he would go back to Ireland, regardless of the consequences.

He remembered when he first came to Mexico when he was seven. His parents were looking for a place to live since people ran them out of Ireland for being demons. They were going to America from Mexico for some reason Jin could never figure out. They ended up wandering until they reached a small town called Guerroro. His parents told him they wanted him to wait next to a shop while they got food for their trip.

It was January at the time so Jin had to wait in the cold rain and he didn't move once. He continued to wait and ignored everyone's sympathetic glances. He waited for hours which slowly became three days and there still was no sign of his parents. One that third day he met Touya who was seventeen.

"Do you speak Spanish?" Touya asked in Spanish.

Jin stared at him, not understanding.

"Do you speak English?" he asked in English this time.

He nodded.

"How long are you planning to wait out here?"

"I… I'm w-waiting f-f-for my mom and dad…" Jin shivered.

"For three days?"

"Y-y-yeah. Th-they told m-me to w-wait here s-so I d-d-did…"

He sighed. "Come on. I'm gonna get you to someone who will…"

"But what if th-they come while I'm gone? Th-they'll go to America w-without m-me…"

Jin heard someone with a silent voice grumble a curse under his breath in Spanish.

"Hiei!" Touya called the owner of the voice. When the person, nine year old Hiei, came, Touya said to him, "**Get Koenma for me. I'm not getting through to this kid. Can't believe they would just…"** He grumbled the rest in Chinese.

Hiei glanced at Jin then in a flash he was gone.

That was how Jin ended up at the orphanage. He didn't know how it happened but he could have sworn he heard "abandoned" once while Ruka and Koenma were talking. He had asked Hiei about it once but Hiei just said Ruka would whip them with a switch if they asked, something less intimidating now.

…And now the ones who welcomed him to Mexico were the ones shoving him out the door in his mind.

The door was kicked open but Jin still refused to turn around.

"Goddamn! Jin, what the hell're you doing that's keeping you from answering the damn door?" Hiei asked. He looked around the house. "No really. What the hell're you doing?"

"I'm going back to Ireland. I don't care if they run me out again," Jin mumbled.

"Ireland?! Why? You comin' back?!"

"No. Things are too screwed up here. Told myself I would go 'home' if it gets this messed up."

"But you can't go! This can be solved easy! I'll admit that I love Kurama to Touya and…"

"You know it won't work. I know him better than you do, oddly enough. He won't stop this grudge until another year. I can't live with that. So I'll just go away instead of trying to drink it away."

"But why Ireland? Why not something closer like America! You could go to California or Texas or New York or… Any they have to freedom of religion there so no one's gonna kick your ass for being Catholic!"

"I told you I promised myself."

"You expect to carry all your crap there?"

"I find ways. I'm not in a hurry to go but I don't want to stay. Simple as that."

"…But…"

---

Kurama came in that evening and flopped on a chair next to where Paco was plopped. _Why does it always feel like killing demons is easier than working in the fields?_

Hiei walked in in a daze.

"Hiei? I thought you were still sleeping," Kurama said. "Where were you?"

"Your mom," Hiei grunted at plopped on the floor.

"I dunno if you were trying to be funny or…"

"Leave me alone! I'm angsting! I can't hear myself angst if you're talking to me so piss off, you homo!"

_Wow. "Homo" he says! This coming from a bisexual guy that started off this relationship._ "What's wrong…?"

_It's like he fills what's missing in me but…_ "Jin's going back to Ireland."

"What?! He is?! Why?"

"Said things were too screwed up here. I tried to get through to him but he's too hard headed to let anyone tell him otherwise. The only ones who can pull it off are Koenma and Touya Koenma isn't here and Touya's outta the question. So I'm sure he's going."

"Are you…?"

"I dunno…" Silence.

"….Hey… I just had a thought."

"Huh?"

"Remember when you said you had something to tell me? What was it?"

"Nothing. Not important anymore."

"All right… 'Night." Kurama yawned and walked to his room.

"'**Night**." But it wasn't sleep that was on Hiei's mind…

---

The next two days had gone by slowly. Jin was supposed to move away that day. The day before, John left to look for Touya. So this was it…

Kurama and Hiei sat at the table in silence. Kurama finally got up and started to walk to the door.

"Where're you going?' Hiei asked.

"I'm gonna talk to Jin. Just before he goes…." he answered somberly. "I'll probably take almost five or time minutes."

As he walked away from Hiei's house, he started to wonder a bit…. Why did Touya and Hiei get into a fight? Jin said Hiei did something that made Touya snap but he never said what. Was it because Touya was mad that Hiei didn't come back in June? Come to think of it, Kurama never asked why Hiei never came back when he said he would. Did he even want to know why? Something told him he didn't really want to know. A girlfriend in Massachusetts? Could it be possible?

Kurama's hand stopped at the door knob. _Did Hiei admit he had a girlfriend in Massachusetts? It's pretty fishy, having a female friend that's hundreds of miles away that he visits on a regular basis. Am I just being paranoid?_

He shook his head and walked in.

"Hey, Kurama," Jin mumbled as he dragged a stuffed bag of belongings towards the door, his feet also dragging.

"Jin, don't do it," Kurama said.

"I have to. Nothing'll work out if I stay. Why stay here and feel bad about it when I could just stay in Cork and be away from the problem?"

"But Hiei doesn't' want you to go…"

"It's just his wounded pride. He doesn't care that I'm leaving. He tells me I'm annoying and he means it. If it's negative, he means it. If not I'm not sure. I still haven't caught onto that one."

"But… You're the first friend I made here. Things will get better! Just don't…!"

"You wanna know why Hiei and Touya got into a fight?" Jin turned to Kurama. Kurama realized then that Jin's eyes were glazed with childish innocence. His eyes only made them look that way. He realized then that they were empty.

The word dropped from Kurama's lips. "Yeah."

"You. It was about you."

Part of him felt crushed, remembering the thought of Hiei having a girlfriend returned… "Why?"

"Touya was mad about Hiei having a girlfriend. He thinks so anyway. Hiei just told him that they were just really close but I don't think so. I think Touya might've hit the nail on the head."

The fox's face lost color. _That can't be true… Could it…?_

Jin stared out the window. "You know. You guys probably just think I'm always happy. I'm not. I'm still hurting inside. Twice as much now. I didn't realize it til after you came back from Japan. If I were smart, I would have left a long time ago but I wasn't so I stayed. And look what happened."

"So you'll never come back?" Kurama's eyes fell to his feet and he ran a hand through his hair slowly.

"I'll move again if things mess up there. If it gets messed up there I'll just head to America if I'm really sick of Europe. I might come back here if I mess up there too."

"Well, can't you come back on your birthday/ I'll throw you a party… I promise…"

Jin stared at him again.

"When is your birthday?"

"March." Hesitation. "March seventeenth."

"Just come then and…" His voice began to shake. "And we'll throw a party and stuff."

"Yeah. That would be great…" And Jin walked out and flew away.

Kurama walked away feeling like he was slapped in the face, his feet dragging. He started to feel the heat of tears rise in his eyes. His lip quivered. He continued to run his hands through his hair, more rapidly now.

Just as Kurama walked towards the porch, Hiei jumped to his feet not saying a word because he already knew… They stared at each other for a long moment that seemed like an eternity.

Kurama failed his resistance and burst into tears and ran to the older man, sobbing into his shoulder. Hiei held him in a sight embrace. Their lips touched once; then twice only more passionately that time. The older man rested his chin on the fox's head and stroked his back for a while as if to calm him.

Kurama rested his head on Hiei's chest and listened to his heart's silent rhythm. He felt more tears roll down his cheeks.

"All right," Hiei whispered to him. "No more of that…" He ran a finger across the fox's cheek to wipe the tear away.

"But it's not the same thing as before…" Kurama mumbled as he clutched Hiei's shirt. "This time it hurts worse… And I can find a way to ease it…"

Heart break.

---

**Cork, Ireland (July 30)**

Jin found himself in his "hometown" and was greeted by a distant cousin who didn't recognize him at all. It didn't surprise Jin. Not in the least bit. He knew "her" family would never know he was that same little boy that ran away with his parents. "Her" family would never have to know about what happened in Mexico. "Her" family didn't have to know that he was all alone. He was gone for eighteen years after all.

At the end of the week Jin walked to the Lee River he was familiar with and started crying… And this time there was no one left to help him…

**End chapter 40**

Notes  
1. Bunker Hill, Eiffel Tower, Kaiser Wilhelm II- I'm pretty sure it was one place where the Revolutionary War was fought. I only know a war was fought there. Actually, I'm not even sure if the Eiffel Tower was there at this time. It was there before World War I is all I know. Kaiser Wilhelm II was the emperor of Germany during World War I. (Incidentally you know he was the grandchild of the queen of England and cousin to Tsar Nicholas, ruler of Russia, by marriage? That had to be killer fighting with your family… But that's not the point…) And Germany wasn't even thought of at this time. I mentioned this to Anna Jaganshi at one point. Germany doesn't become a country until 1871. So Mukuro's actually Prussian but German because there were German tribes.  
2. Freedom of religion-Ireland has a history with religious wars. There's one part of Ireland that's all catholic and the other that's all Protestant so they bumped heads a lot.  
3. No, Jin's birthday is NOT March 17. It was just an inside joke.  
4. Yes Cork is a real city. It's the second largest one in Ireland. And it sucks because Ireland is having a potato famine. Jin's gonna starve! Crap! Thank me for not looking it up!

So this kinda sucked. I was up all night at this thing called the Awake a Thon. I was up watching the last five DVDs of Yu Yu Hakusho (Am I the only one in this fandom that thinks Shura sounds like the kid from the Grudge in the Japanese version?)So here's a long list of all the voice actor's and their characters that were involved in this fanfic: John Bergemeier (Kurama) Chuck Huber (Hiei), Justin Cook (Yusuke), Chris Sabat (Kuwabara and Raizen), Wendy Powell (Mukuro), Rick Robertson (Yomi), Aaron whose last name eludes me. (Shura), Laura Bailey (Keiko), Shizuru's voice actress, Jerome 57 (Hokushin and Itsuki, Sorry if the number's wrong) Justin Pate (Mitarai), uh… Shoot… I'll come back to you on that one. PS Sorry to the FUNimation people I forgot and whose names I spelled wrong. Cause I can't spell… I HATE FLAPS!

Please review.


	41. Losing My Religon

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 41**

"_Why do we always start with your eating scenes? Why can't I ever start off a chapter by eating?!" Yusuke complained as if it was important that Mukuro was eating at all._

_Mukuro glanced at him and went back to shoveling down her pie as if she hadn't eaten in two years._

"_And if you're diabetic why are you still eating pie?! You can't have sugar and…"_

"_Yusuke, I've been eating like this since I was seventeen. I'm not gonna suddenly fall over and die because I ate pie when I was diabetic. Now leave me alone. I'm eating…" Continues eating._

"_Are you pissed off in any way?"_

"_Do I look like it?"_

"…_All the time."  
_

"_Yusuke." Raizen put a hand on his shoulder. "There's no such thing as a scene unless you're being metaphorical and referring to eating as a scene but in this case this whole moment is only an event of her life that really wouldn't matter either way. Also the reason why you never get eating scenes is because you're really not important but that's okay because you got the cool gun in your finger."_

"…_Are you high?" Yusuke narrowed his eyes._

_Mukuro shot up. "Someone's coming." She ran out._

_Raizen stared at where she was sitting. "…No but something tells me she is."_

---

"Hey, Shuichi," Kaitou greeted Kurama who was looking for crabs in a tide pool.

"Hey Kaitou," was Kurama's silent reply as he poked a small pink starfish.

"What's wrong?" He cocked his head questioningly. Kurama didn't seem to have that same bright glow that seemed to float around him. Now it just felt like he was wilting. _All right, Kaitou. Something's wrong! Work your magic or your name isn't Yoshihiro Togashi. Wait… That's not your name. Guess you don't have to do it. No, you're the good guy. Work your magic, dammit! ...My subconscious is evil…_

The redhead sighed. "I haven't been feeling too good."

"What happened in Mexico? Was it that Hiei again?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I get it. You're trying to avoid me, aren't you? No one avoids _me_, Shuichi Minamino! I'm too irresistible to avoid!"

_If he says so… Narcissist. _"If you were too irresistible to avoid, I would have come straight to you for all my problems and if I were avoiding you I would have been at home because I know you don't know where I live."

_No he didn't! He did _not_ just pwn me! …Did I just say…?_ "He said something to you."

"You mean he didn't say anything to me."

"What happened?" More of a statement than a question.

"Something tells me to break up with him."

"Yeah! You should! Go over there right now and…." Kaitou was interrupted.

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "You're not helping."

"Well…" He pushed his glasses up his nose. "I had a feeling that he wouldn't do you any good but I guess…"

"Kaitou…" Kurama turned to him.

"What?"

Kurama pulled Kaitou to him and after a moment's hesitation… He kissed him.

Kaitou's hair once again turned white and he shoved the redhead away. "AUGH! SHUICHI WHAT THE HELL?! IF I WASN'T OKAY WHEN IT WAS YOU AND JAGANSHI WHAT MADE YOPU THINK I WAS OKAY WITH IT NOW?! I THINK MY HAIR'S GONNA STAY THIS COLOR AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT YOU HOMO!"

"I DUNNO! AND DON'T CALL ME A HOMO YOU…. You… HETERO!"

'WHAT KIND OF INSULT WAS THAT?"

"WHY ARE WE STILL YELLING?!"

"I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK IT'S KINDA FUN!"

'…I feel like such a whore now!"

"Yeah well you better! Who else have you been torturing like this?"

"I… I'm going home!" Kurama ran away.

Kaitou frowned. _So that bastard did something to him, did he? Hm… I told him…_ Kaitou remembered back to when he first met Hiei he confronted him when Kurama wasn't around. _"You know that's my friend you got there. I know he's a book-smart guy but that doesn't mean he doesn't do stupid stuff too. And…. If I ever, EVER find out you hurt him in any way it'll be your ass. Got that?"_

Hiei only replied with a smirk and "Sure. Whatever you say…"

_So he did…_ "WELL I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT HIEI JAGANSHI! YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE BRITISH! WE KILLED OUR KING AND TOOK OVER CHINA AND INDIA! WE COULD GET YOUR SORRY ASS ANYDAY BECAUSE WE'RE…!"

"DUDE JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Someone yelled from a nearby house.

_My pride hurts now…_

_---_

Shuichi glanced at Kurama during dinner. "Shuichi… You look…" Eye twitch. "L33t! …Bad today…" Eye twitch. "T.T Is there…" Twitch. "3m0. Something wrong?" Twitch. "T.T"

"No, just one of those days where everything feels awful," Kurama replied silently as he poked a carrot with his spoon.

"Oh." Twitch. "3mo. Slaps j00! ROFL. LOLZ. XD"

"Shu-chan, have you been seeing that doctor I told you about?" Kurama's step-dad asked.

"Yes," Shuichi replied quickly. "WTF! OMG! OH NOEZ! ORLY?! YARLY! NO WAI! …I mean… No. O I C."

Kurama got up. "I'm going to bed."

"But you haven't touched your dinner, Shuichi…" Kurama's mom replied. "Maybe you should eat a little…."

"No, I'm just not hungry right now."

"I'll just leave it for you when you do get hungry."

Kurama nodded and walked out.

"…I'm worried…"

---

Kurama flopped on his bed. _Man…I hate having to lock myself up in here…_

Youko's voice rang in his head. _See? What'd I tell you Shuichi? That Hiei really was just a hot headed fool like I said!_

_Well, damn! It really says a lot to me if even I don't approve of him! _Shuichi argued back.

_Not my fault you were too busy being on fire to listen to me! Now you're back is perspiring! Fruit cake! Butt ache!_

_Hey! If I were on fire that would make you on fire too!_

_Hey I've done about a hundred women and you're telling me that I'm gay! You're the one in women's clothing!_

…_No I'm not. We share the same body and the same soul therefore you would also…_

_Shut it Tinkerbell!_

_Tinker… What?_

_Don't say anything. I wouldn't be stuck in you body if…_

Kurama felt a force come over him. _Not again…_

_Shuichi, you're a fool. You let people walk on you too much and you see what happens to you? _Youko overcame Shuichi's resistance.

Youko growled. _Why am I not getting my body…? Oh well. _"So first I'll go to Mexico and twist that bastard Hiei's neck and then I'll rip his 'little Hiei' off while I'm at it."

Shuichi's voice rang in his head, _Whoa! You're defending me!_

"Hell no! I'll get you out somehow even if it means destroying part of my soul! Then I'll go to Boston and take Hiei's girl depending on how she looks and how big her…"

"Youko!" Shuichi gained control again.

"Shuichi… Is there something wrong?" Kurama's step-dad asked, knocking on the door.

"Oh, no! I was just practicing some lines from this play at school! I was thinking it would help me feel better!" He replied. "Nothing to worry about."

"U… Uh-huh…"

_God damn you Youko!_ Shuichi growled.

_Don't act like you could do better without me! You know you needed me from the start! I bet you'd be dead by now! If you keep letting that 'tard do this to you then you'll end up with a higher pole up your ass!_

_He won't put me in that much trouble…! He's…_

_He's not trustworthy as it is what makes you think he'll be better with you when he's got that girl? And then what're you gonna tell the kids he's gonna have with her when they see you? That their dad's bi and you're just there for when he gets bored with their mom?_

_Yeah well… You're… I guess… You're…_

Youko didn't let Shuichi hear his last thought. _How easily you are convinced…_

---

So Kaitou went by a week after his (disturbing) kiss with Kurama. Now he went on thinking that Italians weren't to be trusted… Of course he was thinking of Hiei who was actually Mexican but ironically _is_ half-Italian. But that's not the point.

He had his nose shoved in a book when he saw Kurama grumbling to himself in Japanese. He stopped to clean his glasses to make sure his eyes didn't deceive him. He saw Kurama's eyes were _gold_. "Shuichi…?"

Kurama turned to his friend (Kaitou felt relieved to see his eyes weren't gold.) and answered dryly, "Hey Kaitou."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Feeling mad right now. Can't think of any way to blow off steam either."

"Well that's what you get for trusting an Italian! They can't be…!"

"Kaitou."

"What?"

"I _AM_ half-Italian."

_Well that explains why he got mad when someone asked, "How's your day go?" _"Oh… Really? N… Never mind! You wanna blow off steam, huh?"

Nod.

"Do what I do when I'm mad: SCREAM!"

_In that case it must happen a lot._ "Aiya! But scream what?!"

"I dunno. Curse at Hiei, yell your name out, something."

Kurama stared at him for a moment, talking in these words. He took in a deep breath and in the loudest scream his lungs could manage he howled, "HIEI YOU GODDAMN LITTLE SON OF A BITCH! I HOPE SOMEONE SHOOTS YOUR CHEATING ASS!" And after a moment's hesitation: "AND ARSONY IS _NOT_ A WORD YOU BIIIIITCH!"

Long blank stare. "Good…. I guess…"

"…I gotta get out of here…" Kurama mumbled.

'What…?"

He ran away, resisting Youko's force.

_The hell is your problem?!_ Youko growled at Shuichi.

_I don't know! I just don't…_

So he ran out of San Francisco… Then out of the county… Then the state… And on and on he went. He kept running in spite of the stares he gathered. He didn't stop except to catch his breath every once in a while and to get some water back into his body. He barely made it into the Indian Territory when he passed out from exhaustion.

_God… This is… I feel like… I don't care if I die in my sleep… I just…_Everything went black.

---

He woke up from several dreams he could never remember and then he would fall back asleep before he had the chance to see where he was. In those few moments of consciousness he could only think back to the moments with Hiei but they never seemed to have meaning to them. Just lines from an unsung song laced with irony.

---

In two days Kurama finally awoke and left without thought. _Give me your strength…_

_Shuichi, you were half dead as it is. Go home._ Youko growled.

**_I know the human flesh we share is weak but it is because it suffers under the weight of the heart, determined and full of will. I know I am only the soul of the human now but I refuse to be plagued by the empty heart of a demon. I want to finish what needs to be finished._**

_And I think you might have found what you call enlightenment._

_So be it…_ So he continued his run. _I have to make it to…_

---

He came to Boston feeling just as tired as he did when he came to Indian Territory but he refused to rest until he saw this person. The problem this time was that he didn't know where this person was or what they looked like. He only knew her name.

Kurama fell to his knees, out of breath.

_I came all this way and I don't even know where to go…_ He wiped the sweat off his forehead. Weakness came over him but he resisted again and continued to run. He rushed through crowds, ignoring the familiar New Yorker's voice that gasped, "What the hell? Kurama?!"

He crashed into the door of a small house. _I'm beat… I hope…_ The door open and he fell to the floor, panting. He glanced at the owner of the house.

"Are you feeling okay?" she (Kurama figured it was a woman because of the feminine sounding voice and her facial features.) asked in a German and British accented voice. "God, why am I even asking? You look like hell." He she carried him in. "Say something. Anything. Just let me know you're still with me."

He only stared back with unblinking eyes.

She shook him. "Hey…" No answer. Sigh. "What a way to meet, Shuichi Minamino."

**End chapter 41**

Notes:  
1. "We killed our king… India!"-References to the English Civil war in which the English, led by Oliver Cromwell, charged King Charles I with tyranny and beheaded him. China and India were basically being influenced by the British. You'll get to this in freshman world history… Well at my school anyway.  
2. "Shut it Tinkerbell!"-play on people calling gay guys fairies.  
3. _That explains… Go."- _My sister has an Italian teacher who gets offended when people say "How's your day go." It sounds like some derogatory term for Italians apparently… So now everybody asks him that. It's funny. Just like you don't do the V for victory sign in front of a German. It's like flipping them off.  
3. **_I know… finished._**- I really like this line. That's why it's in bold. It won't happen again.

This was weird. That's all I have to say. Isn't yelling just so amusing.

Extra!  
If you hurt my friend in any way it'll be your ass.-Kaitou"  
Mexico.  
Kurama tripped over Hiei.  
"Are you okay?" Hiei asked.  
"Yeah!" Kurama replied.  
Kaitou appeared in the door. "I told you if you hurt my friend in any way..."

**Ride like the Wind Summary 1**  
Kurama… And his desire to want to quit things.  
**Ride like the Wind Summary 2**  
Where the Three Kings actually get along… To a certain extent.  
**Ride like the wind Summary 3  
**Female harem where the guy goes after the girls.  
Kurama: Wait what?

Reviews are appreciated!


	42. Breaking the Habit

**Ride like the Wind**  
**Chapter 42**

Something bright fell on Kurama's face. He rolled over away from the light, mumbling, "Give me five more minutes, Mother… I'm tired."

Then after a moment, he realized he didn't hear his mother's footsteps leave the room or her hand on his shoulder as she whispered, "Shuichi, it's time to wake up… Breakfast is waiting…" like she did everyday. He didn't hear Shuichi fall off his bed like he did whenever he woke up or his step-dad's yawns. It was completely silent. His eyes shot open. He sat up and glanced around the room. _Where am I?!_

Then the last memory he had came back to him. _Ah, right. So I'm at her house._ He laid back down, feeling the dizziness of waking up come over him.

_You passed out for two days, _Youko explained. _That woman made sure your dumb ass was okay. So now that you scared the shit out of her, what're you gonna do? You wanna "see the top of the mountain"?_

"_See the…"? What the hell?!_

_Just because you're a fag doesn't mean…_

Kurama ignored him and saw a note that slid by his head when he flopped back down. He picked it up and read it.

"_Hey,  
__When you wake up we need to talk.  
__-Mukuro  
__P.S. I left you breakfast on the table."_

_Mukuro… Was that what they said her name was? I've been through so much I can't even remember that…_ Kurama sighed and set the note down. _I wonder… How am I supposed to talk to her or even be able to explain running across the US? "Oh, I felt really sad because my boyfriend Hiei was cheating on me with you! So I decided to run all the way here! Hee hee!" …Definitely not!_

_Why did you even come here anyway?_ Youko asked.

_I dunno. I guess I was mad… But… Now I know I shouldn't fight because between a woman and a boy, the woman would always win._

_God, when'd you become such a _girl?

_What?_

_You give up and then you act like a frickin' girl._

_I do not._

_Stage one: denial. Statement denied._

_Ugh…_

The door swung open and a shocked looking Yusuke ran in followed by Raizen who actually looked like he was enjoying all this as entertainment.

"Holy hell, Kurama! What the hell happened?!" Yusuke screamed as he waved his arms around like he was trying to fly or something.

"Huh?" Kurama blinked twice and cocked his head to the side.

"I saw you like a couple of days ago. Mukuro said she thought someone was after you or something like that. Was that guy who accused you of killing Sensui after you?"

"No that was taken care of a long time ago."

"So why were you running? You worked yourself so much that you looked dead when you came to Mukuro! She actually thought you were dead because she broke something when you out and you didn't even twitch or anything."

"What can I say? I sleep like the dead. As for why I was running…" He quickly thought of a lie. (He could come up with lies so fast it scared him sometimes.) "I woke up one morning and I felt really bad so I started running. And one thing leads to another and I came across the country."

"…Wow. It I were an idiot like Yusuke I would have believed that," Raizen replied. "If you felt bad because of Hiei, why didn't you just say so?"

"Uh… Well… Uh…" _How'd he…?_ Kurama gave him a blank stare.

"How'd you figure that out?! I would've taken forever to put two and two together and…" Yusuke shook his head.

"Well, you know…" Raizen paused. "…Can I get the question again?" Long silence. "…Or ask the audience or telegraph a friend?"

"Just get out of here!" Yusuke shoved him out. "We're gonna have male bonding!"

Long blank stare. "…Wow. I didn't know you swung that way. No wonder your girlfriend left you."

"Out!" He kicked him out. Yusuke sighed. "So you're still seeing that jack ass?"

"Yusuke, it's over. You don't have to say anything to me," Kurama looked away from him.

"He told you?"

"No. I found out the wrong way though."

"That's screwed up! He never told you! Not even a hint! I should go over there and kick his sorry ass for…"

"No. Just forget it. It's over and doesn't matter." _So that's what he meant when he said…_

"Look man. I'm just looking out for my friends. Don't take this the wrong way. I knew Hiei was gonna be a trouble maker from the start…"

"Yusuke."

"…Mukuro is gonna ask you the same thing. She's kinda got this thing where she treats everybody like she's their mom if she knows them well enough. She won't bite your head off or anything even if she looks like she will. But don't lie to her. She won't like it. And she can tell when you are. She's a sharp person." Yusuke sighed and after a moment's hesitation, he walked out.

_Yeah… But sometimes… I dunno… _Kurama stared at the ceiling.

---

Mukuro came home half dragging her feet, a tired look on her face. For some reason today felt more tiring than others even if she really didn't do much that day. _Must be stress. Oh, in a perfect world there would be a way I could relax._

When she came home she saw Kurama who jumped when he saw her. She nodded absentmindedly and mumbled something to herself in German.

"Oh so you're awake now," she held out a hand. "I'm Mukuro or Eikenberry and stuff of that nature. Nice to meet you."

"Oh…" He shook her hand. "I'm Shuichi Minamino."

"Everything's okay, right? I'd have to imagine that your muscles would be sore after running across the US ."

_Aiya… She knows…_ "Well, yeah. I can deal with it though. I've seen worse."

"So why'd you do it?"

"Huh?"

"Why'd you run across the United States ?"

"Well… I just felt like going somewhere else since all I've been going to was Mexico . I thought Boston was a nice place to go. I wasn't expecting Yusuke to be here so…" Kurama lied after a moment's hesitation.

_He really is a bad liar._ "**Bull.** Listen don't BS me. I…" Mukuro was interrupted by a knock at the door. Something told her that it wasn't Yusuke or Raizen… Dare she open the door…?

Well, no. It was Kurama. "I've got it." And in lunged…

"MUKURO!" Yomi cried and glomped Kurama. Hearts. "Ah… Mukuro, your chest is flatter than I remember… And you let your hair grow out and I think you grew a bit…" Heart.

"Help me! I think he's orgasming! It's… It's like surprise butt sex!" Kurama screamed.

_Heh. He said surprise butt sex. _"Yomi, I'm right here," Mukuro sighed, crossing her arms.

"Muku-" He stopped mid lunge and pointed at Kurama. "So you must be Johnny Cade!" He pointed the rifle between Kurama's eyes.

"Uh… Before you shoot me with that nonexistent rifle, I'll have you know that I'm not really this Johnny Cade… I'm Shuichi Minamino… SM."

"…Oh. Mukuro!" He glomped her, half burying his face in her breasts. Heart.

She grumbled something to herself in German and threw Yomi outside. She held up her index finger to indicate she wouldn't be long. She slammed the door behind her.

"Okay. Why didn't you do us all a favor and stay in London ?" Mukuro growled.

Yomi sighed and shook his head. "I didn't go to London . Those two guys must have assumed I did just because I'm British… I went back to check on my experiment in New Jersey ."

"Experiment?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I can't tell you. It's… Says a lot to me if I can't tell my own fiancée."

_Funny. I still distinctly remember turning him down. _"So you started it just now?"

"Actually I got started on the idea when I was about sixteen. I got started on the experiment when I left for London about a month after you were raped. I think he's ready to see the light now."

"Well that's besides the point. I'm trying to get something taken care of…"

"It has to do with that Johnny Cade, doesn't it?" Lightning flash. Drama. Angst. Then it suddenly occurred to Yomi that he somehow influenced the weather and he added on an evil laugh just to sound cool.

Long blank stare. "Right… Okay there's no Johnny Cade. I'm still single. I'm going to turn this love triangle into a straight line the way it should be."

Gasp! More drama! More angst! …But no lightning. "How many men have you been seeing?!"

"I said I was breaking up a love triangle not admitting I was a whore!"

"…But if you were having an affair I'll forgive your fling!"

Mukuro rolled her eyes and walked back in.

Yomi scratched the door with one finger. "Mu… Mukuro… Can I come in? .are you so meeeeean...?" Whine.

"**No!**" She turned back to Kurama. "Ignore him. He's just my stalker but we won't go into that. That's far from the point."

Kurama suddenly leapt to a window. "I gotta get out of here! This is too weird for me!"

"Does this relate to the fact that Yomi's a sickly pale, six eared, psychotic, blind, British man? You could get used it fast…"

"No…! Why won't it open?" Hysterical laughter.

"Shuichi, get a hold off yourself! Besides that you push it up to open it!"

"Why didn't you say so before?!"

"…You never asked."

"I think I just broke a nail opening it!"

"Shuichi. Enough…" She sighed. "I know why you came here. It was for Hiei, wasn't it?" Kurama felt his stomach twist.

"No, it's not him. We were just friends. I told you. I just felt like running somewhere and Boston sounded like a nice place. Why don't you believe me?"

"Because normal people don't run across a country without anything with them."

…_She got me there._ "Okay we're best friends. That's all. We argued and I decided to come here simple."

Mukuro frowned at him, crossing her arms.

He sighed. "You won't hate me if I was in love with a guy?"

"Hiei told me he was bi. If I didn't kick his ass for that then why would I go off on you about it?"

"Well… I love him. I hate to say it but I do… But I don't think he feels the same about me. And I kinda found out at point that he was seeing you… I tried to convince myself that I didn't right after that but I was wrong. So I came here to see you but… Now it's no use."

"I see. Well, I'll find a way to straighten things out. Then you won't have to worry…"

"No. You don't have to do that. I'll just go home and find a girl and forget about it."

"You shouldn't have to try to change who you are to escape sorrow."

"I'm not…" He fainted.

"Shuichi?" She put a hand forehead. _Damn. He's got a fever. Probably because of having little sleep lately. I feel bad for him. _"Well, looks like I've got some work to do."

And she dragged the red head into the room.

---

Later that night, Mukuro went her room and released a bird from its cage.

"All right, Mark. Let's put you to work," Mukuro said as she wrote a quick note. She tied to his leg. "Okay, take it to Mexico you rat with wings."

The pigeon cocked its head and cooed.

"Oh goddamnn you. **Take your note to Mexico before I fry you up you dirty little bird.**" She frowned at the pigeon as it flew away.

_I need to fix this…_ Just before she went in, she froze. _What the hell? That aura… It's… no, it has to be my imagination. I hope it is…_

"MUKURO!" Yomi tackled her. Hearts. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Hearts.

"Would you get off me?!" Mukuro growled and shoved him off.

"Are you done with that kid so we can finally bond?"

"Who said I wanted to bond? No, I'm not done with Shuichi. I'm trying to get this mess fixed still. But you…! Do you even love me at all?"

"Yeah! I've loved you since forever but I never told you cause I was kind scared my girlfriend wouldn't like it… I'd do anything for you!"

"Okay. Hit yourself."

"Okay!" He punched himself in the face.

"…Doesn't that hurt?"

Yomi pulled out a knife. "Do you want it to hurt? …And every drop of blood will be for you!" He was about to stab himself when Mukuro snatched the knife.

"I told you to hit yourself not to cut off your wrist!" She eyed him for a minute. "Who told you to marry me in the first place?"

…_Like I was paid to propose to her._ "…I met a priest named Koenma when I was eighteen that suggested I marry you so I decided that's what I wanted to do!" He glomped her.

_I feel so whored out now…_ Mukuro thought as she shoved him away.

"Whatever. We'll bond later." She turned her back to him.

"So you love me back?!" Excitement.

"Two words. **Hell and no.**" She turned back to him. "I thought you said you went back to London . What brought you back to America ?"

"Well, I heard my aunt and uncle were killed. I know I'm supposed to be a pacifist just because I'm a Quaker but I decided I would find their killer and kill them anyway."

"So you wanna find your killer? You already have. And she's standing right in front of you. So are you gonna kill me?"

"You… I…" He knew he hand the knife with him at the time but could he turn it against Mukuro? His hand was on the handle but he couldn't take it out. "I… I…"

"I'll give you time to think…" She left him with that.

---

Kurama sat up, eyes gold now.

"Now that's Shuichi's out of the picture for the time being I can finally get the control I've wanted..." He stood up and listened to Mukuro's footsteps. "Woman…"

_And I suppose getting Hiei to come here would make her think everything can get worked out. What makes her think Shuichi would take this lightly? Hm… _Youko thought.

**End chapter 42**

Notes:  
1. I use Kurama when it's understood that it's either Shuichi or Youko that hasn't control over Shuichi's body. Youko is just used when it's understood that Youko is in his own body or when he's thinking. Kinda confusing at first but you'll get used to it.  
2. Quaker-I'm not talking the oatmeal. The guy on the Quaker oatmeal is really a Quaker. What a Quaker is is this religion I think rooting from Christianity. They're pacifists and are recognized by their hats. Yeah.

The next one is one of my favorite chapters because it's so random… Until the end when it gets angsty.

…I dunno what I was thinking at the time but at one point I considered making Mukuro a lesbian. What the hell?

Review please.


	43. Victim of Love

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 43**

Hiei woke up that morning to see a bird sitting at his window. He stared at it for a few minutes, perplexed by how fat the pigeon was. He finally opened the window and let the bird perch on his hand.

As he watched the fat bird preen its feathers, he considered cooking it for breakfast but the thought escaped him when he saw a note tied to the bird's leg.

_The hell…?_ He took the note off. _What kind of cheap bastard would…? Oh hey. It's from Mukuro. I wonder what…?_

The note read:

"_Hiei_

_Right when you get this, come to Boston as fast as you can. We need to talk!_

_-Mukuro_"

_Wha…? I wonder what the hell could be up with her…_ Hiei thought for a second. _Well, better get moving I guess…_

---

**Boston, Massachusetts**

_Ow… I feel like someone went and kicked my ass for no reason at all. …Again. Bloody hell._ Mukuro thought that morning. _…Wait. Something doesn't feel right. Is it me or is there a breeze in here?_ She sat up and looked down. _Oh. That's why. Must've drank too much._

She felt someone staring at her from the side and she looked to her right to see Kurama staring back at her topless and pants undone, a rake in his hands. _No wait, it can't be Shuichi. Shuichi has green eyes. He has gold eyes now. So if it isn't Shuichi then who is it?_

"Uh… Can I help you?" she asked, trying hard to keep the suspicion out of her voice.

Kurama stared at her for another minute and then hit her on the head with a rake.

"Ow! What the hell is your problem?!" She shook a fist at him.

Kurama smirked. "So your head isn't as soft as it was last night…"

"Last…? What the hell'd you do to me?!" Mukuro got no real answer except Kurama's maniacal laughter. "Oh god! As if once wasn't bad enough!"

"You should be grateful it was me and not that bisexual retard Hiei."

"Who are you and what'd you do to Shuichi?!"

He stopped staring lustfully at her bare chest to answer. "Oh and you're smarter than I thought. At least that makes up for your flat boobs."

"You can go to hell."

"Anyway… No, I'm not Shuichi. I'm Youko Kurama. I share this body with Shuichi and I occasionally get control over him like I do now. I should be able to transform since Shuichi's unconscious now…" He made sounds like he was constipated. "Dammit! Why am I not getting my body back?! Oh well…" A bullet barely missed his head.

At that moment, Kurama's eyes turned emerald and he stumbled out not looking back at Mukuro who was getting ready to fire again.

_Youko damn you. What are you doing? _Shuichi asked feeling his weariness coming over him.

_You fool_ Youko thought. He turned back to the door that was slammed just when Youko took over again. _I've had my fun. Now then. Let's get down to business. Knowing that dumb ass bisexual Hiei he'll probably show up. Now I just need to wait so I can…_ He felt something get pressed to the back of his head.

_Oh god damn this woman…_ Kurama thought as he held up his hands in the air. "As if being shot once wasn't bad enough."

"Bring Shuichi back," Mukuro growled.

_God, like I freaking stole him or something._ "No, you stupid bitch! I can't because he's unconscious!"

"I don't give a damn! I like him a lot better than you! At least he didn't touch me while I'm asleep!"

"Oh, I didn't just touch you. I went all the way in and then you screamed and you said (BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP)!"

"I know what you did! And I never said that! I wouldn't be able to live if I said that!"

"Hey you should take it as a complement. I only did it because you had nice tits!"

"I thought you said they were flat."

"Yeah. A good kind of flat."

"No you didn't."

"Why, yes. Yes I did." Smug look.

_What a horrible comeback._ "Well if you don't I'll have to do you the hard way."

"As in what…?"

---

And slam! Mukuro threw Kurama into a cell looking proud of herself.

"What the hell lady!" Kurama growled, shaking the bars.

"I said we were gonna have to do it the hard way so we did. If you decided to go the easy way I would have locked myself up or just kicked you out of the house til Shuichi comes back."

"Or we could go the moderate way and lock ourselves up and use your handcuffs to…"

She held up a hand. "I don't wanna know."

"Nobody locks up Youko Kurama! Nobody!"

"Okay, I fail to see how that's on topic but…"

"You know what? Screw you!" Kurama made sounds like he was constipated again. Suddenly a large amount of demon energy came and knocked Mukuro back.

"Goddamn! What the hell is…?!" She stopped when she saw not Shuichi but Youko Kurama! "You…"

Youko smirked. "I've finally made it back to my original form…."

"You weren't kidding…" Her eyes widened.

"What the hell do you mean 'You weren't kidding'?!" Youko shook a fist at her. "I'd be afraid if I were just a personality in that fag Shui-" Mukuro fired at him and purposed missed.

"No, Youko. A fag is _not_ a male homosexual. I faggot is a bundle of sticks and a fag is a person carrying the sticks unless you wanna go by the British definition, a fag is a cigarette. I'd be a little afraid if it were a cigarette at my door."

"Yeah, sure…" Silence.

Mukuro sighed and shrugged. "I gotta go now. I made the mistake of getting stuck with the last one."

Just before she left, Youko said, "Hey wait."

"What?"

He pointed to his wrist.

"That's a wrist, Youko."

"No."

"I don't have a watch either. If you want the time just ask. Do you point to your crotch when you have to take a piss?" She walked out.

The silver fox sighed. _That dumb ass Hiei can have her. _He leaned on the bars. _My Rose whip could cut through this easil…_"ACK!" _That stupid bitch didn't lock the goddamned cell! That… _His thoughts wandered to several explicit adjectives and nouns.

"And this is when Youko Kurama makes his great escape…." He dashed out.

---

"Guess what tomorrow is!" Raizen yelled as he smacked Yusuke on the back of the head.

"Ow! What the hell, you jack ass!" Yusuke growled as he punched him in the stomach. "And no, I don't know."

"You really don't know?"

"No, I don't."

"Maybe my magic towel would help." Raizen held up what looked like a thousand year old rag that have become discolored and smelled just like a few cows sat on it.

"Augh! Man get that gross thing away from me! It smells like cow shit! Did a cow leave a load on it or something!"

"As a matter of fact a cow did! And goddammit that is what made this damn towel so magical! I've had it since I was a wee," he indicated his height with his hand, "little… Thing-a-ma-jig!"

Yusuke held his nose, half fainting from the horrible stench. "I can tell."

"You wanna bull fight with it?" He waved it around. "Ole and whatever the hell the Italians say…"

"It's Spanish, Raizen. And no, I don't wanna bull fight."

"Oh, come on! It doesn't smell _that_ bad!"

"Yes it does!"

"You're just sensitive."

"Shut it!"

Raizen froze. _That aura. It's…_ He turned around to see Youko Kurama towering over him, a look of disinterest on his face. "You're… Youko Kurama! I didn't think you would be showing up anytime soon."

Youko's face turned green. "What is that nauseating odor that rapes my nostrils?"

"My magic towel? Goddammit, not you too!" He threw it on the ground. "Would you people just leave Towely alone?!"

"Oh my god! It's moving!" Yusuke's hair turned white.

Mukuro walked to the three to see what was going on. "I heard Yusuke screaming. Did you bring your towel out on him?" She asked Raizen.

"Not you too!" Raizen felt like banging his head on a wall.

"Whatever." She glanced at Youko. "You…! I thought I arrested you!"

Youko smirked. "You… Actually you didn't. You just threw me in the cell."

"Whatever. I locked the cell."

"No, you didn't. You forgot. You're the worst cop I've ever met. You can remember this as the day you _almost_ captured Youko Kurama!" He added on a laugh to emphasize his point.

"You realize I did capture you right? I got you stuck in that cell for a few minutes so that counts as capturing you."

"You can remember this as the day you _almost_ kept Youko Kurama in jail!"

"You're full of it."

"Well..." Youko stopped. His hair turned blood red and his golden eyes changed emerald. "The hell…?" _Shuichi must be trying to gain control again._

Long silence. Raizen decided to say something which everyone figured was just to fill his urge to hear his own voice. "Youko Kurama's a genie!"

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "It's nice that you think that way." He turned back to Mukuro. "Just for the record, who are you?"

"You want to know?" Mukuro replied almost mockingly, her arms crossed. "Okay. Keep track. It's Mukuro W. P. Von Eikenberry Volks Klopstock Herder Eckhart Goethe Schiller Faust Schlegel Korner Arndt Ruckert Arnim Grimm Holder Kleist Eichendorff Morike Heine Gutzkow Freligrath Herwegh Hebbel Storm Schleswigdor Rosegger Nietzsche Busch Hoffaman-Donner Hauptmann Zuckmayer Strauss Kaiser Toller Fritz Werfel Brecht George Kolhenbeyer Bull Gunter Lenz Krolow Kirsch Kunze Kant Dlenzdorf Conrad Pope Gwendal Adams Jefferson Thompson Nemur Pippin Shakespeare Stuart Chamberlain Churchill Simpson Spencer Mary Marshall Winston Conner Normandy Wren Turner Jones Dyck Reynolds Romney Sandby Blake Ruskin Brown Morris Hilton Bacon Robinson Baron the second. But you can call me Mukuro."

"Or you can make her sound like a cow and call her Mumu," Raizen added.

"Call me that and I'll shoot you."

"…So what's the W. P. mean?" Yusuke asked, starting to feel brain dead.

"I know the W was for… Wendy, wasn't it?" Raizen replied.

"Yeah. My mother wanted me to have one name that _she_ approved of apparently," Mukuro replied.

"What was the P?"

"….Peter."

"Say what?!"

"Supposedly my father really wanted a boy. So he tortured me with his name because he thought I would change into one at one point."

And that was when Yomi appeared. "MUKURO!" Heart.

"Hey, you wanna hear my ridiculously long name?" Raizen asked Kurama. "It's Raizen… Crap. His is Yusuke Urameshi Takashi Togashi…"

"Enough!" Kurama held his hand to the white haired demon's face. He pointed to Mukuro. "You! Crazy bitch! Did you tell that damn bisexual Hiei to come here?"

"Number one, it's Mukuro. And number two, what's with your obsession with Hiei being bi?" Mukuro asked, shoving Yomi away.

"You did. Didn't you?"

"Should you care?" She began to pistol whip Yomi to get him to stop hanging on her.

"I don't give a damn. But it's not me I'm asking for. I'm asking for Shuichi."

Hiei suddenly came running until he fell to his k ness in front of Mukuro, panting. "What…. The hell… Did… You want… Me… To… Come…. For…"

Mukuro frowned and kicked him in the crotch.

"Ow! What the hell? You called me all the way over her to kick me!"

"No. That was for last time and this is for this time." She slapped him and to make sure it hurt, she put her nails into it.

"Why…?" He stopped when Kurama lunged and choked him. That was when Hiei saw that…

Kurama's eyes weren't gold like he thought. They were emerald!

_Shuichi?!_ Hiei thought feeling his breath start to cut off.

**End chapter 43**

Notes:  
1. Mukuro's name- From Klopstock to Dlenzdorf are German writers. The rest were off the top of my head. As for Wend in her name, that came from her voice actor Wendy Powell.

Yeah. I'm getting braces put in on Thursday. I got spacers right now so I can't really eat much of the stuff I liked. Ugh… Gotta go. I gotta watch my sis get killed in _Silent Hill 2._

Review please.


	44. Cupid's Chokehold

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 44**

_Shuichi?! _Hiei thought feeling his breath start to cut off.

"Give me a reason not to kill you and I may let you live," Kurama growled digging his nails into Hiei's neck, small droplets of blood starting to trickle onto his fingers. He heard Mukuro load her pistol and he let his grip loosen a bit.

"You want a reason? Because I'll just have to kill you if you do," Mukuro threatened the red head aiming at the back of his head. "You have a lot of nerve to try to kill someone in front of a cop. As much as I'd hate to do it, I'd have to arrest you. Calm yourself. We'll just work this out."

Kurama slowly let go and let the smaller demon hit the ground. Hiei kneeled on the ground gasping for breath his face turning slightly blue and looking like a puppy that was almost kicked to a bloody pulp. He glanced at Mukuro who was glaring knives into him now and lowered his eyes the way he did when he was caught doing something as a child.

"Wait... What... What's going on here?" Yomi asked.

Mukuro death glared him. "Nothing. Nothing you need to get involved in. Ignore it."

"Sure. We'll move on. Let's go, man," Yusuke grabbed Raizen by the arm.

"Wait. Hey... This might be a bad time to ask, but you know what tomorrow is?" Raizen asked Mukuro.

She groaned. "**Fuck**, I don't give a rat's ass."

"O... Okay." Yusuke and Raizen walked away.

She turned back to Yomi. "What're you waiting for?"

"Random thought but... Shouldn't you wait to take care of this? Aren't you supposed to be on duty?" Yomi asked.

"So sue me. Shouldn't you be in New Jersey watching your experiment and then help some little boy who broke his leg because he fell off a tree and then cut off his leg because he got gangrene and then putting the lost veins and arteries in a jar for your amusement later on so you move on to patient after patient?"

"Never... Never mind..." He walked away hesitantly.

---

"So, Hiei. What brought you here today?" Kurama asked bitterly his arms crossed.

"Mukuro told me to come. That's it," Hiei answered simply and as calmly as he could manage.

"Are you sure that's it? Are you sure it wasn't to make sure everything was where you left it last time?"

"Make... That's dirty, kid! I'm telling you I'm here to..."

"Funny considering that it's hump day! Goddamn you Hiei Jaganshi! I know by now that you wanna make sure your virginity's dead and gone but that was no reason for you to go around and take mine! Who else were you sleeping with?"

"Screw yourself! You went along with it!"

"BOTH OF YOU!" She crashed their heads together. She took a deep breath. "Goddamn it... Shuichi, I know you're just as pissed off as I am but try to stay calm. He's not lying when he said I told him to come back. I thought we could talk this over but I guess I'm not the problem solver I'm supposed to be. But I do side with you on this one."

"What the hell is your problem?!" Hiei growled slamming his fists on the table.

"**Calm the hell down. **You're acting like someone's gonna hack it off. You know what this is about. I'm trying hard not to blow your brains out as it is. Don't make it worse for me. You should've known what would come out of doing two people at the same time. So tell me, which one of us do you really love?"

Hiei's eyes shifted between the two. Kurama shook his head in disapproval and buried his face in his hands as if to say "Why did you have to ask?" Mukuro (He could tell she was _pissed_.) was death glaring him trying hard to resist the urge to give him a good beating. Hiei watched Kurama for half a minute and spent the other half staring at Mukuro's chest. (What he got out of that Kurama didn't know seeing how Mukuro made sure her shirts were loose enough to make her chest look flat.)

Hiei finally crossed his arms and replied, "I love you the same."

"Yeah and I'm actually the lost pharaoh from ancient Egypt," Kurama replied sarcastically. "She didn't get through to you, did she?"

"No, I figured out how we could do a threesome! See, you'd be in the middle..."

"Shut it, Jaganshi! I know how it'd work! That Nicholas D. Roy was a nasty man with no shame and he made it a point to say these kinds of things around me!" Mukuro growled. "You don't love someone just because they're good in bed."

"Mukuro, if that were the case, I would have walked out on Shuichi a long time ago," Hiei replied.

"Oh that's reassuring..." Kurama rolled his eyes. "So basically you like her better because she is?"

"No, see...! You're good too because you don't go and bite my head off or anything. And you're nice and you take good care of me... And...!"

"So you're saying the only thing she has going for her is sex. And I'm good for everything else. So when you start feeling the urge you can just go to her and then come back and have me housewife and mother you."

"No, I mean...!"

"Are you listening to yourself anymore?"

"Ugh! See when you're bi, you..."

"Hiei. Nicholas D. Roy was bi, too. So you're implying that because he flaunted that fact around he had full right to rape me and it would be okay if he went and did it again. So there was nothing wrong with that," Mukuro growled her voice laced with poison.

"No but..."

"But nothing. I don't know what point you're trying to make." She looked out the window like she was going to throw something out of it and started to walk out of the room. "I need water. While I get it, you two talk this out. And if you make Shuichi cry or if you beat the hell out of Hiei I'll come back and split your skin off, strangle you with it and then snap your neck. **Watch it.**" She walked out.

"Goddamn she's scary when she's pissed off." Hiei whispered under his breath. He glanced at Kurama who sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Kurama, look it's..."

"Don't start," Kurama replied with no emotion. "She's right. You're not making sense. I liked you when you did back before I found out about Sensui being alive. I liked you better when you were going off on me just for being an American. Really hypocritical of you to say that and then go off with some American woman. I guess I just now realized how little sense you made. You could have told me sooner instead of having me wait til Jin had to leave. I should have known..."

"Wait. Look..." He sighed. "Okay, see... We'll... Well... I was gonna tell you but I wasn't sure how you'd take it but..." He noticed Kurama buried his face in his hands again. "...Are... Are you crying...?"

"No..."

"I just heard you sniff..."

"It's allergies."

"No, you're..."

"I'm getting out of here!" He slammed the door behind him.

Hiei heard the sound of someone cracking their knuckles behind him. "DON'TPEELOFFMYSKIN! IDIDN'TMAKEHIMCRY! HEJUSTSTARTEDDOINGITONHISOWN! HONEST! IDIDN'TMAKEHIMDOIT!"

Mukuro gave him a blank stare. "You stay with me for a month and you don't realize that it's a habit of mine? But if you want me to do it..."

"God, no!" He almost fell out of the chair.

"So, I'm right in assuming you're staying with me even though I supposedly chew your head off and treat you badly though it's actually the other way around?"

"I don't treat you bad."

"So why was I doing better when you were gone? Or did you forget your promise that you'd stop seeing me if I did better after you left?"

"I kinda forgot but..."

"Well, bloody hell. I think it's better if you'd stop seeing me. Like I said, you don't really treat me all that well. It's always sex with you and the only times you don't jump on me are when I threaten to blow your brains out and when I had that ulcer. Says a lot to me if I have to say something so you won't do me. Secondly if this continues the way it is you'll probably end up with a whole bunch of kids you don't want. Not ready to become a brain-dead housewife just yet."

"I see... Wait, you're pregnant?!"

"NO YOU BLOODY RETARD! What, did you land on your head when you fell off the... The...! The thing!"

"It's called Ice World not the thing. And what? Are you gonna do Yomi even though he'd faint at the sight of your breasts?"

"Sure he'll suddenly gain sight just to stare at them. You wouldn't be surprised by his reaction if you saw some of the girlfriends he had. But that's not the point."

"Ugh!" He smacked his forehead and slammed the table. "Mukuro, you're making this harder than it is!"

"No, I'm not. You brought this on yourself. No, all the shit that happens to us we bring on ourselves and we all have to pay the price for it so we make excuses. There was something Yomi used to say: 'Excuses are like ass holes, we all have one.'"

"Screw that. If it makes you feel better I was gonna give up on him anyway. He doesn't need a guy like me to pull him down."

"What? And I do?"

"No. If I die, you can move on. He'll move on but he'd have a hard time carrying all that weight. But you always pull a lot more than he manages."

"That makes no sense."

"Look. Basically no one cares if I live or die so I might as well..."

Mukuro slapped him and made sure she put her nails deep enough to make a scar. As she watched him recover, she clenched her fist so tightly that her palm started to bleed. "Don't you give me that shit! People do give a damn! If we didn't then would I have kept Shuichi from killing you? Would Shuichi have stayed with you? Would anyone you know still talk to you? Then get over yourself! Quit trying to get pitied all the time! I had it bad too and I know I might not be everybody's favorite but hell, I can move on. But you can't. If you want to die, kill yourself but everybody that cares would be watering your grave. And don't you forget that!" She cocked her head when Hiei point his gun at her. "What the hell are you doing that for? But if you're so hell-bent on doing it, then go on! Pull the trigger so you can bitch about how you wish you didn't! So go on! Do it!"

"I can't!" He threw it at her, hitting the right side of her face.

"Suit yourself!" She walked out.

---

Yomi wandered down the street, occasionally turning his head as if looking over his shoulder look for some axe murderer. He stopped right next to Kurama. "Hey, you're that kid from before."

"Yup," Kurama replied.

"Okay." He started to walk away.

"What? You're not gonna say anything meaningful like Be good or Carry on my wayward son or Be strong soldier or If you watch a dog urinate you'll get a bump on your head?!"

_Say what?_ "Uh... Don't sit in a wet trench for... Four years shooting at... Some guy you don't know... You'll get... Uh... Bad feet and... Hands?" Long silence.

"Screw it, I'm gonna go home..."

"You don't want me to take you to your mother...?"

"If that were the case, she would have had me when she was eleven. She's old enough to be my sister."

"...I see."

"Ah! Two of my favorite demons!" a voice called. It was...

"Koenma?" Kurama gasped. "What're you...?"

"Just dropping in for a visit!" he replied cheerfully. "I just wanted to have a talk with someone I haven't seen in about ten years then turn around and go to Chicago to look for Hiei and then continue looking for Jin. Haven't seen the guy in Mexico."

"Wait, Hiei's a small Mexican guy right?" Yomi asked. "About this tall?" He indicated the height with his right hand.

"Yeah. Why?" Koenma asked.

"He's here."

"And Jin's back in Ireland," Kurama added.

"What?! Can't anyone stay in one place anymore?!"

"Apparently not," Yomi replied.

"You're one to talk! I look for you in Louisiana then I hear you're in London so I look there and then I hear you're in Spain so I look there and I hear you're in Scotland so I go there and hear you're in New Jersey so I go there and what do I hear from some kid that you're seeing some whore in Boston!" Koenma cried.

"...She's not a whore..."

"Ugh! I'm going!" He grumbled under his breath.

"...By the way, she lives in the other direction. Now might be a bad time to go. She's not in the best of moods right now..."

"She never is!" Long silence.

"...I never saw it that way."

---

There was a knock on the door. Mukuro groaned and opened it only to be tackled by Koenma.

"HOW DARE YOU BECOME A WHORE! THE POWER OF THE BOOK COMPELS YOU TO STOP!" He started banging a book on her head.

"Now isn't the best of times to annoy the hell out of me. And who told you I was a whore?" she asked.

"I dunno... Some kid in New Jersey. AND WHY ARE YOU STILL DRESSING LIKE THAT! THE POWER OF J-"

"Leave me alone. You know why."

"Isn't your husband...?"

"I'm not married."

"...You should marry..."

"Hell no. He touches me with his masturbating hand."

"I do not!" Yomi broke in. Silence. "Should've kept quiet."

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GIVE IT UP!" Koenma whacked him with the book.

"I did... But... For that I shall shave me beard," he held up a knife.

"You have no beard, Yomi," Kurama said.

"What? No, I have to have one! I..." He ran his hands all over his face. "OMG! I... Did I just say OMG? I said it again! ...And for that I am sad... And in atonement I shall cut my hair!" He cut a strand of hair with his knife. "Wait! I JUT REALIZED THAT I'M NOT STRAIGHT WITH SCISSORS! NO! I'LL LOOK LIKE A POODLE THAT GOT RUN OVER EVEN THOUGH THOSE THINGS ALREADY LOOK RUN OVER! I MUST RUN HOME TO GET A BOWL _THEN_ CUT MY HAIR!" He ran out screaming, "THE BRITISH ARE COMING!"

"That was weird..." Koenma mumbled.

"Now you see why I refused to marry him..." Mukuro replied. _What was tomorrow again? Oh yeah, I remember now..._

"Hiei? What're you doing here?"

"Leave me alone. I'm angsting," Hiei groaned.

"You always are!"

_Raizen's birthday. Or something like that. Better watch out because... _

**End chapter 44**

Notes:  
1. Hump day- slang for Wednesday because it's the peak of the week  
2. "Uh... Don't sit... hands...?"- A bad reference to trench warfare in World War 1. It's referencing trench foot and trench hand. Something the soldiers got from the moisture in the trenches.

This chapter is dedicated to Pyramid Head from _Silent Hill 2_. Just because he's so cool with that pyramid this on his head... Because very few may no one know him if they never saw the _Silent Hill_ movie or played _Silent Hill 2_.

Anyway. I rushed near the end because I thought I took to long. Sorry. Meh. Random thought. I watched the fight between Hiei and Mukuro and glanced away from the TV for a second while they were doing all the grunting noises... I think I started blushing because my mind is so dirty...

Gotta go. Review please.


	45. Hey You

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 45**

"Here hold my towel," Raizen threw his magic towel at Yusuke.

"Gross! No!" Yusuke threw it on the ground. "Do you even wash this thing?"

"No. If I do the magic'll go away. How can you treat Towely like that?! Do you know how much he cost me! It took forever!"

"You told me you jumped some guy and stole it."

"After all the times I let him sleep with me you throw him on the ground!"

"It's cause of that smell that you sleep so well."

"It's not a bad smell. It's magical."

Yomi's eyes would have narrowed. "Whatever."

"No one cares about you, Yomi. You can't even pronounce my name right and then you say 'I say' like we don't know who's talking," Hiei replied smugly.

"Hiei, it's called cockney English. You skip the H when it's there and add it when it's not. Mukuro speaks with partial cockney English," Kurama explained sarcastically. "Your English pronunciation isn't all that perfect either."

"How not!"

"…For one, what you just said. And ain't ain't a word."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did!" Smug look.

_That's the worst comeback I've ever heard…_

Long silence.

"Yomi, you're fun-ny!" Raizen poked Yomi's nipples which must have really hurt considering how long his nails were.

"AUGH! BLOODY HELL! MY NIPPLES!" He fell over and started twitching like he was having a seizure.

"Hey!" a rough voice called everybody. Everybody except Yomi turned around to see…

"Kuwabara and Yukina! It's been freaking forever!" Yusuke said as he gave a greeting punch in the ribs.

"I know! I missed ya'll! Houston's been boring without you guys! I even missed Hiei!" Kuwabara replied.

"Too bad I don't feel the same," Hiei replied, rolling his eyes.

"…But I sure as heck didn't miss your rotten personality."

"…Is that man alright?" Yukina asked, pointing at Yomi.

"He's fine. He's just being overdramatic," Yusuke replied. He poked the demon with his toe. "Okay, man. You can get up now. It didn't hurt that much. …You're scaring the children."

Yomi sprung to his feet. "Does my pain disturb you?!"

"Yes. Yes it does."

"Well that's too bad! You don't do this to doctors! I could cut out your intestines and put them in a nice marmalade jar and then display it on a… Thing! I'd do it, too! My people killed their king and were able to defeat the Chinese! We're really violent people."

"Yeah but America still beat the British."

"You're a doctor?" Raizen asked.

"Yeah."

"…So shouldn't you be at home doctoring people?"

…_If that made grammatical sense yes._ "No. I have stuff to do here."

"Other than bug the hell out of Mukuro?" Hiei asked.

"I'll cut out your testicles with a scalpel if you don't shut up," Yomi growled.

"Oh, I'm so scared…" Rolls eyes.

"Is it me or is this chapter really lacking in plot?" Raizen asked suddenly.

"It's all the gay's faults for going against the natural order. It should stay as a relationship between a man and a woman because it's clearly the divine law. (_Oh… Divine law. Which piece of crap book did he get that line from?_ Hiei thought.) Also two men or two women cannot produce children. We need to keep the population going. It will give the children the idea that homosexuality is okay thereby making them choose to be gay and causing all sorts of chaos. We'll never adapt to that kind of behavior! If we allow gays to marry then it won't stop me from marrying a dog. It destroys families! It's just so unnatural. (_Didn't he already say that?_ Kurama thought.) And gays will only produce gay children just as straight couples only produce straight children. (_I thought he said gays don't produce children._) Gays are really perverted," Yomi finished his rant. Really long silence.

"I don't know why that just reminded me!" Yukina clapped her hands smiling. "Kazuma and I were planning to have a Christmas celebration and all of you were invited. You could bring some other friends too…"

"Not Mukuro. She won't go because she'll say," Hiei imitated Mukuro's voice with very little success, "'I can't because I'm Jewish.'" He continued in his regular voice, "She acts like her religion's frickin disease."

"Come to think of it, I asked her why she wouldn't marry me once and she said that she couldn't because she's Jewish," Yomi added.

"No, she thought about how hideous your kids would look."

"They wouldn't look that bad."

"I'm getting bad mental images. Let's change topics," Raizen broke in.

"If you feel sick during this discussion, puke on Yomi. He's the doctor and'll make you feel better," Yusuke replied jokingly.

"Gee, thanks." Yomi would have rolled his eyes.

---

"How the hell do you always get so much crap mixed up?" Mukuro half muttered to herelf as she dug through papers that happened to be on the desk.

Kirin glanced around the room, pretending not to notice.

"Hey, since you're here… Do you know any doctors in town?"

"Huh? You don't?"

"I won't go if I'm not feeling too bad. All they'll do is just tell me that I'm diabetic and that I shouldn't eat sugar and keep an eye on my toes or the circulation'll cut off down there. I never found a point til now."

"What for?"

"I get ulcers. I need to keep one in mind if I get another."

"There's one down the street from here." Long silence. "That tide… It sounds off schedule today. You think a big wave's gonna come in and…?"

"Looks like I'm going on out, Texas Ranger. (_Texas Ranger? What the hell?_ Kirin thought.) But you and I both know that's not the tide. It's something else. But there will be a big wave. A wave of a different kind."

"Have you always been that vague?"

"Maybe. Get working." She walked out and stood staring at the door after she closed it. _Who am I kidding? It can't get a doctor for this. It's too late. Why bother? Dying with someone to water your grave. That's enough, isn't it?_

"Surprise butt sex!" Raizen jumped on her back.

"It's not funny the first time," Mukuro growled.

"It would be if that were grammatically correct."

"Give me a break. Yomi tried to teach me proper grammar when he didn't really have perfect grammar himself. Get off."

"Not til you stop angsting."

"This is the way I always act. Lemme go."

"You're angsting and I know it."

"Goodamn you!" She dug her nails in his arms, flaring up with energy.

He let go. "Fine. You don't need to start acting all bitchy today."

"I'm not. I'm just tired… That's all. Law enforcement does that to you." She started to walk away.

"Even when I'm near death you're still a lying little bitch."

That stopped her. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I just suppose it runs in the family."

That was when Yomi appeared out of nowhere. "MUKURO!" Hearts.

She caught him mid-lunge and pointed the pistol between his eyes. "Touch me and you die." He hit the ground.

"How did you do that?" Yusuke asked.

"Cause I'm British. How'd you get here so fast?" Yomi asked.

"Cause I'm Japanese and I kick ass. You don't mess with Asians, bitch! Cause we're mean, we're green…"

"No, you're not," Kurama broke in.

"Hey…" Kuwabara leaned toward Kurama and put a hand on his shoulder. He frowned gaining focus. Tension built up. Everybody leaned in, anticipating the secret yet to be revealed. His eyes shimmered with great knowledge. Insert a good sentence here. "So… How's your day go?"

Gasp! "I'm insulted!"

"Ha! V for victory!" He did the V for victory sign.

Mukuro's eyes widened. "Now I'm insulted!"

"You realized you flipped her over just now? …The German way that is." Yomi replied.

"I'm sure you know _all_ about that," Yusuke replied sarcastically.

"Hey let's change the topic. Mukuro say something funny," Raizen broke in.

"Hey Hiei you know what they say about guys with big hands?" Mukuro asked.

"I dunno something else is big…?" Hiei cocked his head questioningly.

"Yeah. But what?"

"Their p…"

"Big gloves. You know what they say about guys with big feet?"

"Big shoes."

"Big toes! Come on, Hiei! Even my father could figure this crap out and he has people hired to think for him! Him with mansion on the hill… or whatever the hell it is he lives in."

"Holy crap! You come from a rich family?!" Yusuke almost passed out from shock.

"From the Prussian nobility and from the British nobility. It happens sometimes. But yeah," she replied simply.

"Did you know about this?!" He pointed at Yomi.

"Yeah. I'm actually from nobility myself. But that was only because my father bought the title with whatever he earned from his factory," he replied simply. He muttered under his breath as if someone was supposed to hear him, "That also reminds me that I need to back and see my son…"

"I didn't know you had a son…" Long silence. "What's your wife gonna say when she finds out about Mukuro?!"

"I'm not married. But I'm engaged…" (_Funny. I still distinctly remember turning him down. He must be pretty deaf for someone who has six ears…_ Mukuro thought.)

"Oh. Girlfriend?"

"No. Never had one. Okay… Maybe a few but I didn't try anything. (_I still remember him having about five a week. What a whore._)

"Okay… So how'd he come to be if you never did it?"

"Let's switch topics again. I'm getting bored," Raizen broke in.

"Oh! That reminds me! Hiei wanted as you if you wanted to celebrate Christmas with us," Yukina said to Mukuro. ("I did not," Hiei grumbled with a hint of brotherly love thrown in.)

"I can't," she crossed her arms. "I'm Jewish."

"Well you don't have to be…"

"I'm diabetic. I won't eat sweets."

"You eat pie. Same difference," Yusuke broke in. "Why are you Jewish if you can't do anything?"

"If the family gets burned for being Jewish then my father wants me to be burned too."

"Why don't we all just have an eating contest?" Raizen broke in again.

"Say what?" Yusuke blinked twice.

"I'm starved!" Suddenly he fell face flat on the ground.

"Raizen?" Kurama shook him. "Raizen?"

"Don't bother. His heart stopped. He's dead,' Yomi said somberly.

"Yeah," Mukuro slung his arm over her shoulder and dragged him away. "I told you thousands of times to eat something and you see what happens? Boston… Has become too quiet without you."

"The tide stopped."

"Really… I thought you noticed…" Yomi pulled a pipe from his pocket. "This gave me a head ache…"

"What?"

"Yusuke. It wasn't the tide that was the source of the rumbling…" He said the next sentence in a near whisper. "It was his stomach."

_And indeed Mukuro, it did become to quiet. It was a wave of a different kind._

**End chapter 45.**

Notes:  
1. "My people… people."- References to the beheading of Charles II (or was it the first?) during the English civil war and the Opium War against the Chinese in the 1830's.  
2. "America still beat the British."- Reference to the Revolutionary war of the American Revolution.  
3. Kurama and Mukuro being insulted- I mentioned this before but this is in case you forgot. "How's your day go?" Sounds like a derogatory term for an Italian and Kurama is half Italian. The V for victory sign is supposedly the German way to flip someone off.  
4. Prussian nobility- I never corrected myself. It's not Germany til 1871. So it's actually Prussia but they're still German because Germany was formed when all the German tribes were united.

…I like Hitler jokes. I saw a picture on gaia that had Hitler with bunny ears that said, "Am I kawaii?" And another with him in a car doing hydraulics. Anyway… In celebration of Cinco de Mayo I shall put in longer extras. Beware though… The Pokeman one was based on something I saw on the GD in gaia so it's going to have nasty humor. Yeah. Onward.

**C is for Cookie. That's Good Enough for Me. (This one is true. Sadly.)**

Mukuro stared at the TV in dismay, the remote falling out of her hand as her jaw dropped.

Hiei walked in. "Hey, you ran out of… Dude, are you watching Sesame Street?"

"They killed Cookie Monster…" Her face went pale.

"What?"

"They turned Cookie Monster in a health nut veggie whore! I loved Cookie Monster!" She kicked the TV and ran out crying.

Hiei stared at the TV. "Cookie is an extra food? The hell? He didn't make me fat. Stupid FDA and their anti-obesity laws. Stealing my Shrek's fat. Cookie is an extra food. The f…?"

**Feliz Cinco de Mayo!**

Hiei flopped on the couch next to Mukuro. "I hate Cinco de Mayo. I think it's insulting."

"How?" she sounded uninterested as she continued to flip through the channels.

"People are saying it's Mexican independence day! It's not! September 16 is our independence day! Cinco de Mayo was just a major battle! If you went to Mexico right now no one would be doing anything."

"Yeah and people here say that November 11 is when the Allies won the war. It was an armistice. You want to know why Americans think they won the war? They put it in the Treaty of Versailles that Germany had to take the blame because no one wanted to pay. Don't you think I found that a little insulting but the reason I don't say anything is because it doesn't freaking matter. It's a reason to go out and get drunk. Now you have two reasons to get drunk." She turned off the TV. "Speaking of which, I think I'll just make myself pass out."

Pout.

**Here let me show you my Pokemans. Or My Pokemans: I'm not showing you them.**

Kurama glanced over Hiei's shoulder one day. "Are you playing Pokeman? I thought you would've outgrown that by now."

"I found it under the bed and started to play it," Hiei said. He started laughing a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

Kurama shrugged and walked away. _At least it keeps him busy._

Almost too busy. Kurama looked over Hiei's shoulder. "What do you have?"

Hiei stared at the Gameboy hesitantly and handed it to him. "Okay."

"What the…?! What are your Kakuna and your Metapod named Penis?!"

"Look at the attacks."

"Harden… String shot!" Oo "And why is your Onyx named Hard on?!"

"It's funny."

"I've had enough." Kurama gave it back. He felt like banging his head on a wall.

"You know I named my Pikachu Shithead?"

"I don't wanna know."

---

Yeah. I got some weird laughs. Please review then.


	46. Makes Me Wonder

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 46**

"Well, it's all really awkward now..." Yusuke mumbled to himself as he looked around Boston the next morning. 'But hell, it always was. I guess I wasn't supposed to be here from the start, was I? So should I stay or should I go? If I stay it'll be trouble, but if I go..." He sighed. _I'm in a jam._

"Urameshi..." Kuwabara said to Yusuke as he walked to him.

'What?" he replied.

"So... You coming home now? I mean he was what kept you here, right? You could stay with me in Houston if you want or..."

"No, I'm staying here til I'm eighteen."

"Did something happen in Mexico?"

"No... Just... Pursuing something. I don't remember what anymore. But if I don't find it, I'm coming home. You got two years to wait, big guy. Don't worry too much."

"Yeah but still..."

---

"Hey," Kirin's voice came from behind Mukuro.

Mukuro turned around to look at him. "What?"

"I've heard some crazy talk. Something about Raizen..."

"That's not crazy talk. This is crazy talk: blahc aojdhsd sdhsagaw ksdhgss..."

"Enough. How can you pronounce all that?"

"...Because I'm German, and Jewish. We're great people."

"Yeah, well I heard that..."

"I heard that your nonexistent girlfriend opened her legs for some random guy that smelled like mutton and got a really bad disease. Really I don't care. Yeah I know it's something about Raizen being dead but I don't really care. Don't you have respect for the dead?"

"But you met when you arrested him. That's not a very good start to me."

"Yeah and I meant you when some thugs were trying to get you to..."

"That was a bad time for me! You promised never to speak of that."

"I had my fingers crossed. That kinda thing runs in the family. In anyway case you have you right to call him a bad guy if you never sat down and talked to him. Just because society calls someone a bad person doesn't mean they are a bad person. Look at me. Everybody cusses me out all the time for being a bad guy but I'm not really all that bad according to the people I know. Maybe you think so but I'm not to them. See, listen here. We're all born empty. It's the choices we make that paint the image of good and evil on us. Those choices are what make us part os society or alienated. The only way to fight alienation is to fight your way into society somehow. In truth, there is no right or wrong. We see the world through one set of eyes- our own. We interpret things the way we want our eyes to see them pure and simple, Kirin. Pure and simple."

"Why do you always have to make things so complicated?"

"I only tell it the way I see it."

"Okay, well, I'll tell it the way I see it too. Something's wrong."

"What makes you say that?"

"For one, your shirt's on backwards."

"What?" She looked down. "**How the hell'd I...?**" She ran into an alley. "Make sure nobody comes by to see this! I don't think people love me enough to want to see me topless."

"Right..." Kirin stood in the middle of the alley, his arms crossed. _I'm three years younger than he is and I still have more sense n' he does. _He rose an eyebrow when he saw Mukuro's back was covered in scars like she was lashed with a whip.

"Stop staring like you haven't seen a man's bare back before," she said suddenly. "It's creepy when you do it."

"Those scars on your back. How'd you get them?"

She cocked her head at him questioningly. "...I was a really bad kid. _They_ used to whip me for doing stuff wrong or when they felt it was right to do so."

"They?"

"You and I both know who I mean..." She started to walk away. "Sit tight like a good boy. I need to get my pistol from home."

---

Later that day Mukuro was standing by the docks. Then Kurama walked up to her.

"There you are," he said in a near whisper. "...So it's been a crazy week for you, too?"

"I guess so," Mukuro sighed. "Talking its toll on me."

"You look depressed. Should you even been working like that?"

"No, this is just the way I always look. You're the first person to point out that I don't always look pissed off. I guess I am subconsciously."

Kurama looked away. "It hurts?"

"The condition I'm in or are you going on something else?"

"Youko, he... Just because he takes over my body doesn't mean I don't know what he's doing. So that gets me into some awkward situations..."

"What he did? Not really. Or are you going on about something else? Just don't apologize about it. I know he's not sorry."

"I wasn't. It's just that... I know it might bring some bad memories but... What happened to your right eye?"

Silence. Mukuro chuckled a bit. "I was kind of counting on not having to tell you but I guess everyone does at one point... You know, I gave Hiei all the nice details and he's thinking I got this because the guy that raped me beat me and he's over here trying to be nice about the wrong thing. I left out the real reason why this happened. Go ahead and tell him if you want, I don't care if he knows anymore. I know him well enough to know his reaction. Basic background information, I was almost four when I was sold as a slave for these guys who sold demons as slaves. I ended up in Louisiana and then I got raped by some bastard with s lump in his pants and I ended up running away about a day after. I went to school here and ended up where I am.

"I never told Hiei why I got screwed up like that. He just assumed. Even if I were beat too badly I wouldn't be that bad. Even if that family wanted a new slave they couldn't buy me being from the homeland I am unless they got me from that one that sold demons. Well... It was basically like this..."

**Flashback**

"From now on, you're answering to the name Anne Boelain," the overseer said to Mukuro.

"That's not my name," Mukuro, at the time five, replied irritably.

"It is now."

"Nuh uh. I'm only the one my..."

"No one gives a damn about who named you. Just get used to the name and make my job easier or I'll make your work harder."

She frowned at him. "Well..." Then... And aura came. It was weird. It was Spirit Energy but Demon Energy too... How was that...? Then the overseer kicked her in the stomach.

"Don't stand there looking stupid! You..."

"Let me give her inspiration to change her name..." Mukuro saw the speaker for a second. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. Pointed ears... Then he poured a liquid on her right eye. "Holy water, my friend. Gets them good."

"Zeru! Quit messing with my slaves! I thought you came here to talk..." the master's voice went on but Mukuro took no more of it in. The only word she really remembered was Zeru. The Demon Exorcist...?

**End Flashback**

There was a long silence when it was over. Mukuro glanced at Kurama who stared at her, emotionless. "Don't try and be nice to me because I told you all that. Hiei tried and failed miserably. And I don't want pity over all that. I don't cry when I think back and I don't want anyone else to either. I'm too used to people not liking me."

Kurama looked away. "So... Did Hiei tell you about his past?"

"Didn't tell you his story? What do you know if anything?"

"He was beat as a child and how John died when he was fifteen."

"That's the gist of it. All that's really important..."

"So... The thing he did in Chicago... Did he really do it?"

"I don't know. It's in the book that he did but... I really don't know. I really can't put it past the guy. He's not really much of a law abiding citizen no matter where he is."

"Hiei... He owes you one..." He turned away from her.

"For what?"

More silence. "Thanks for helping me out the other day... I probably wouldn't have gotten any sense into him."

"Nothing that makes sense fits into that thick skull. We red heads have to stick together."

_It looks brown from here..._ "I'll be off."

She stared into the sky. _I feel really sick now... _She threw up and stared at the ground for a while before she fainted

---

Mukuro sat up. "Where the hell am I?"

"Apparently you fainted while you were working," Yomi explained while he walked into the room with a bottle of medicine and a spoon in one hand. He almost dropped the medicine when she started screaming. "What?! Don't tell me you're going to redo what happened in Salem!"

"...Oh it was just you, never mind."

"That was polite." He would have smacked her but he knew better. "So... Another ulcer this time?"

"I guess. I don't know."

"Were you drinking?"

"That's a stupid question. I'm known as the drunk around here."

"Why? Just so you can forget?"

"Don't do that. I just do. That's all. I don't question your habits. Like..."

"Don't bring that up."

"Hey, don't bring my habits up and I won't bring up yours." She looked away. "Are you gonna made me take that?"

"Yeah. You have to."

"You can't really diagnose anything for me. I'm a really sickly person as it is."

"I know that. But even so... This should help. There's nothing I can really do with the condition I have myself. I suggest you look for a doctor. Stop this act, find a doctor and move on so you won't have to worry."

"If you can't do much right now then why do you keep your job?"

"Quit asking." He poured some of the medicine into the spoon. "Just take this. It would knock you out but you should feel better when you wake up."

"Of course you make me take the one that would make me fall asleep..." She swallowed it.

"Don't say that." He walked out. "Drink more fluids. And it better not be alcohol and eat an apple everyday." Then the front door closed.

"Acts like my mother sometimes..." She laid back and rolled over. "Sleep doesn't feel half..."

Hiei ran in. "Hey... Oh."

He started to walk away when he saw a note left on the table.

"Hiei,  
You owe Mukuro!  
-Kurama  
PS No sex or booze! ): (" (_Why did he add that?_)

Hiei sighed and put his own note on the table.

"Hey Mukuro  
When you get better meet me in Louisiana. You know where.  
-Hiei  
PS Kurama wants to add **No** sex or **booze**."

**End chapter 46**

Notes:

1. Anne Boelain- Odd way to spell the name of one of King Henry VII's wives. This was the one that got beheaded...  
2. "...What happened in Salem!"- In the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts there was this big witch hunt. Read The Crucible. Explains it all.  
3. Note the emphasis on the word booze in the last note.

Supper sorry about the wait. I was having this thing where I didn't feel like updating. Sorry again!

Reviews are appreciated!


	47. What I've Done

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 47**

"Nice September day isn't it?" a voice came from behind the slave.

He turned around to see Mukuro. _Oh good Lord! Nother Northerner! _He didn't trust any Northerners after the last time he was caught running away. He wouldn't have gone even if it were "Moses" coming to take him away.

"Why're you looking at me like that? I'm not going to hurt you or anything. I just want to get some directions to some place," she said.

"O… Okay, sir…"

"You don't have to call me that. We're equals. You can call me by my name if you want. It's Mukuro."

_Yeah, Ah bet ya think that's real cute. Probably jus' lookin' for some excuse to whip me for bein' all disrespectful. _"Directions to where, sir?"

"The place where the Cromwells used to live. I was told they weren't very far from here. I just to know the direction." She raised an eyebrow when the slave froze in fear. "What?"

"What d'ya think yer doin' talkin' to the n-g-r?" a voice came from behind Mukuro. The speaker grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to face him.

"Oh, hey. I think you might wanna do something about your mule. I think he's humping a haystack. It happens all the time you know," she replied.

"It ain't no mule, ya retard."

Her eyes widened. "I thought that was a mule jacking off! That was just you talking! I didn't think that was possible!"

"Shut up, ya goddamn Yankee! Who the hell are you?"

"Why? You gonna kill me because if you are I'm Zachary Taylor. You can't kill a president. That's not cool. Come to think of it, isn't he dead? If he is, I'm Zachary Taylor's dead body possessed by… Uh… I like the name Adolf… And the word hit… And Leer… Yeah, I'm Zachary Taylor's body possessed by some ghost called Adolf Hitleer."

"Ya have a British or German accent. How can ya be Taylor?"

"…Only in America."

"An' Ah'll ask ya again. What d'ya think yer doing talking to the n-g-r?"

"He looked like he knew the directions to this place pretty well so I asked him." She crossed her arms. "And I'll ignore you unless you tell me the directions to where the Cromwells used to live."

"Where're ya from?"

"If you must know I'm from Boston."

"Of course. Ya can't get any more like a Yankee than that. They're down the way. Ah wouldn' go if Ah was ya. It's been called a cursed place since that girl went crazy and killed people there. Actually... On second thought. Go. Go and stay there, ya slave hugger. Stay for a whole year for all Ah care just stay away from these parts and keep yer freeing friends away too or Ah'll shoot ya'll."

"I'm sure it's cursed. And you don't need to worry about any friends of mine coming here. I don't know anyone as radical as I am. Don't expect me back… Unless… Unless you make another black man, woman or child cry, expect me to come into your home and tear out your innards out from your ass." She walked away. _You're looking at the girl who made it cursed._

She reached her destination about half an hour later. There she saw Hiei lying in the middle of a patch of grass under the shade of an old maple tree looking like he was relaxing and waking from a catnap. He rolled on his stomach, still looking like he was enjoying himself. "Oh, hey! You finally came! Took you long enough."

"Oh goddammit! It's you!" she smacked her forehead. "It's twice as disappointing when I do run into you. It might have been worth it if you had pie or a muffin at least!"

_She sounds like a fat ass that missed dessert. _"What do you mean 'Oh goddammit! It's you'?!"

"It means like it sounds." She crossed her arms and cursed in German.

"Like you have another message behind it and you need to remember that I'm a guy and guys don't get subliminal messages like the one you just gave me. Or in another sense you could just mean it playfully and just want to…"

"**It was the first one you retard."**

"I'm gonna have to assume that you were pissed off by that. I was just…"

"What the hell did you want me to come all the way across the United State for? Don't you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to get here?"

"Now you feel my pain."

"Then stop coming to Boston all the damn time and leave me alone."

"That wasn't the reaction I was going for but I guess that one was good enough…"

"On with it."

"I'm here to pay my debt to you. Kurama says I owe you one so I'll just be a good man and pay it off."

"So you'll shoot yourself?"

"No! I thought you…"

"Why couldn't you do this in Boston?"

"Not enough room."

"Not enough…? Why the hell do you need this much room?"

"Well you know…" Hiei looked away. "So any idea why I have to pay you back?"

"For making my life a living hell. That's what. You think you're making my life better but you're not but I guess that never occurred to you. I'm guessing that you'll once again do something that would benefit you and then screw me up since that's the way it usually goes."

"So why do you always let me come if that's the case?" She gave him no reply. "Yeah. That's what I thought. Look, you remember when I told you I'd give you your freedom if you gave me mine? I think that's it. So I'll let you be freed."

"So you'll leave me alone?"

"No. Your shackles. I'll…"

"Don't try. I tried everything but they never broke. Koenma did everything but they never broke. There's nothing you can do that'll break them. And I told you that I'm as free as I need to be. They're just there. I'll live with them and I'll die with them. I'm okay with knowing that."

"Your happy knowing some jack ass sold you out?"

"You were happy not being accepted by the Ice Maidens. You were happy knowing your father didn't want you. You were happy knowing the only ones that bothered to see you for who you were are still with you. I'm the same way. I don't care."

"That's different. I'm not happy with that."

"I feel the same way but I don't go looking for pity like a spoiled child. You don't need to do this. Go home. Kill yourself over what happened for all I care. All you do is complain about it. It's not me that wants freedom. It's you." She turned around and started to walk away. "Our mother didn't die for you to throw your life away. I want to beat some sense into you but I can because you'll get pissed off. But you don't just want me to beat you up for it. You want me to kill you for you."

Suddenly Hiei stabbed her right through her stomach. Mukuro froze and then fell to the ground, blood dripping from her lips. Hiei stared at her.

_Did I just do that…? Goddamn… _He pulled the bloody sword out from her and stared at it. He cringed. _Hell, I didn't know she could go down so easily. She's a good talker but not very strong with anything else… Shit. What the hell do I do now…? Shit! Shit! Shit! _

He kicked some dust over her body as if to give her a generic burial and started to run away but when he was a couple of feet away from the body he was shot in the leg.

_What the…?_ He turned around and there was Mukuro, reloading the pistol on her knees.

She coughed up some more blood. "When you stab someone in the stomach they don't die instantaneously. I thought you knew that Hiei. It takes time for stomach acid to get out. Even so, I still can't die too easily like you thought I would. I could kill you if I wanted to. The barrier between the human and demon worlds kept me here. I'm too strong to go to Demon World. Don't look so relieved. I'm really sick of your shit now. If you don't like me mentioning your mother then quit putting me in positions where I have to. Why the hell do you keeping bitching about it anyway? You talk shit about her but no one can acknowledge the fact that she was here."

"You… You're…" He leapt away when Mukuro swung her arm, thinking she was going to smack him. In the corner of his eyes he saw he was wrong. There was a line there coming from the sky. "What the hell did you do…?"

"It's the answer to a suicidal person's prayers."

"…A razor?"

"Touch it if you want to die so much. It's pretty painless to be cut with space as far as I know."

"That's what that is? Now you do want to kill me?"

"Yes. Actually I do. But I don't because I have self restraint and that wouldn't be right to go and do that. It's more of a test."

"You could just go to hell, Mukuro." He came at her with his sword but she punched a hole in his stomach. He backed away and coughed up blood.

"Don't try doing that. If your strength is a drop of water mine could be a lake. Even if you gave your all I could still take you out when I'm over here on my knees. I don't want to do this and keep fighting you off and you can't kill me even if you had a real reason. You don't want to die and you know it. All you really want is someone to really accept you for who you really are. Don't you know there are people there who do? You're blind. Screw what happened to you when you were a kid. I don't care about that so why should you?" She stood up. "And I know you'll just get pissed off and try to kill me with that being said."

Hiei stood up and flared up with energy.

"Oh bloody hell. You're an idiot. So this went from trying to pay off a debt to trying to kill me?"

Hiei released the Dragon of the Darkness Flame but Mukuro was able to stand it without getting swallowed by the flames. As it pushed her away, she flared up with energy and eventually split it in half. In the end she was an eight of a mile from where she originally was. Silence.

"I'm off. I don't think we'll ever finish this."

"No. I think… Your wrist," Hiei said.

Mukuro stopped and looked at the shackle on her wrist. It cracked in half and broke off.

"I told you Kurama told me that I owed you one. So I paid you back. You're free now. So everything can be okay again…"

"Tch. If you say so. This doesn't solve anything. I think all you did was open another door."

"You look pale…" He passed out.

"**You idiot... You don't get it, do you? Your body's strong; I'll give you that but your heart is weak…**" She vomited and passed out not long after. _Not this again…_

---

"You mean to tell me Jin's been in Ireland this whole time and I didn't even know! What kind of crap is this?!" Suzaku ranted as he took another slice of Kurama's apple pie.

"He's been in Ireland for a while. It's old news. What kind of friend are you?" Shishi replied.

"Hey, nothing ever comes to me. I mean if you were pregnant, I wouldn't know until the baby was born!"

"You realize you're talking to a man, right?"

"Yeah, but you get what I'm saying, right?"

"No."

"No, what I'm saying is…" He went on.

There was a knock on the door and Kurama opened it.

"Hey there! Just felt like stopping by to talk to my favorite demon!" Koenma greeted with a smile.

"Well he's not here. I think he's still in Boston," Kurama sighed.

"Nonsense, I was in Boston not long ago and neither Hiei nor Mukuro were there!"

"Isn't that something?"

There was another knock on the door. Kurama opened it again to see Mukuro who was dragging Hiei in with her.

"Holy hell! What happened to you?!" Koenma gasped.

"**Nothing. I was just…"** she fainted.

"Aye, aye, aye… I swear Hiei never stopped being the trouble maker he used to be…. You two! Continue your rant! Nothing to see here!" Suzaku and Shishi nodded and walked out of the room.

"Looks like my stay is lengthened," Kurama sighed.

"Good man you are," Koenma laughed. "Pie can relieve your stress."

_If that were true, I wouldn't be able to walk._ Kurama thought.

**End chapter 47**

Notes:  
1. n-g-r – Yeah. It's the "N" word you hear all the rappers say. I cut it out so it wouldn't be offensive to anyone. It's just a way the slave owners degraded the slaves. It's supposed to be derogatory term but I guess that's the rappers' prerogative. Yeah, I don't get it either.  
2. Adolf Hitleer- bad reference to Adolf Hitler's name. I'm the freak that loves Hitler jokes, remember?  
3. Yankee- During the Revolutionary War (the thirteen colonies against Britain) it was used to refer to the people that wanted independence. (Whereas the Loyalists were loyal to Britain.) During this time it referred to the anti-slavery people. During the Civil War it was a Union soldier. Now it's… Apparently it refers to person who dyes their hair red or blond in Japan. But I think that's just something someone randomly came up with on this website.

I don't like seeing Mukuro/Hiei stuff. I like Hiei/Mukuro. You're probably thinking What the hell is she talking about! They're the same, right? No! You know what you're implying? You're implying that Hiei is still on the bottom even if he's with a woman! (If a pairing was Guy/Girl the girl would be on the bottom because that's how it works apparently. The one mentioned last is on the bottom bunk.) Let him take a good view!

Anyway… Random thought… Mukuro would look like a dictator if her hair where black. Uh… Happy… Monday off… For whatever reason it is… I forgot. Isn't it Memorial Day on Monday?

**Extra! Based of a **_**Pearls before Swine**_** Comic**

Hiei was standing at random stand that used to be a little girl's lemonade stand selling razors for fifty cents. Mukuro stared at the stand.  
"What the hell are you doing?" Mukuro asked.  
"Look Mukuro, if women were meant to have hairy armpits they would be made that way!" He pointed at her like it was her fault.  
Blank stare. "…But they were."  
"Okay so it was a mistake like the backwards knees on the flamingos!"

As always reviews are appreciated. (I dare someone to give me a signed flame!)


	48. We didn't start the fire

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 48**

Hiei woke up one morning with the sunlight pouring on his face. He grunted and then rolled over so the sun wasn't in his face. "Where am I? Why's it so damn bright?"

"So you're finally up," Kurama said as he turned away from the window. "You're at your house. Mukuro brought you here not too long ago."

"Mukuro? She's here?"

"Not anymore. I told her to stay but she didn't want to. She kept throwing up. She might be coming down with a bad sickness or something like that."

_Throwing up? Like she's got morning sickness? She she's…_

"You want something to eat since you're up. It might help your stomach if it's still healing."

"My…?" Then he remembered. "No. Not feeling well right now." He rolled onto his stomach. "What're you doing here? I thought you hate me now."

"I have a good reason to. You cause too much trouble. I liked you better before you took my virginity away. You weren't as much of an asshole as you are now. I came to get my stuff and now I have to take care of you since Koenma left on business. Once you're better, it's back to San Francisco for me forever. You can go have your fun with Mukuro. And me? I'll eat pie."

"Pie?" He stared at the red head. "What?"

"Pie… Don't ask!" He walked to a pile of Hiei's clothes and pulled out a shirt. He glanced at Hiei who was still staring at him and started to walk out with it.

"What're you doing with my shirt?' Hiei forced himself to sit up.

"A souvenir…"

"Get a better one. Why does it have to be my shirt?!"

"…Cause I secretly sniff your clothes when you're out."

"Say what?! Did you do this to Mukuro, too?!"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Her reaction wouldn't be as funny. Actually she'd either be amused or just pretend it never happened. But then again her scent is sweeter…"

"Then sniff her clothes and leave mine alone!"

Kurama stared at him and walked out with the shirt anyway. He heard Hiei struggle to get out of bed. "If this is still about the shirt, I'm scared! I know you must like this shirt but that's no reason for you to go after me!"

"No!" He stumbled into the room. "It's not about that. You can have it."

"Well, that takes the fun out of taking it…"

"No. I mean you can't stay in San Francisco forever!"

"I know I have to travel around."

"No! I mean… I need you!"

Kurama looked disgusted. "Go need Mukuro. You like her and you're seeing her. I'm just getting in the way now. You don't need me. Just leave me alone. I'm gonna eat pie."

"Pie? I still don't get…"

"W… I…. GODDAMMIT MY PIE IS SO GOOD IF I DON'T SAY SO MYSELF!"

"Kurama, I think you should calm down!"

"You calm down! G… Ugh!" He felt like banging his head against a wall. "No wonder Mukuro threw up! You're stressing her out!"

"She… Look, it's just that…" He sighed irritably. "Screw this. I'm going to Boston even if I can barely walk."

Kurama shook his head. "Sure."

---

"Something doesn't feel right here…" Mukuro grumbled to herself. "And it's not just because I somehow woke up on the table with a beer bottle full of pig's blood in it. How the hell did that get there anyway?"

She sat up and then heard the door slam. "**Damn, the storm's back.**"

Hiei ran in, waving his arms around and ranting in Spanish.

_Damn this man…_ "Hiei, you realize that I don't understand a word you're saying?"

Second of hesitation. 'HeyareyouokayKuramatoldmeyouthrewupandIjustwantedtoknowifyouwereokayand…"

"Never mind. Go back to Spanish. I liked it better when I didn't know what you were saying."

"Look I just wanted to know if you were okay."

"When did my health make you lose any sleep?"

"Well, you're pregnant, aren't you?"

She whacked him on the head with the beer bottle so it broke.

"What the hell, lady! What the hell is this shit?!"

"Pig's blood."

"Why the hell do you have pig's blood in a beer bottle?!"

"I dunno."

"You shouldn't be drinking if you're pregnant."

"I'm not. I've been going on like this for five months. If it were because I'm pregnant, don't you think someone would notice me getting bigger?"

"Demons could be different…"

"Yeah but I have diabetes. That's a human disease. So I'm as close to a human as they come."

"Are you completely sure you're not?"

"Positive. Why do you want me to be in the first place?"

Long silence. "I dunno."

"Yeah, well, you can't do that without it!" She aimed the gunned between Hiei's legs only to find she forgot to load the pistol. "Oh. I forgot."

"Don't you think you're going too far?"

"I know what you're gonna do so I'll end it! Don't worry! I heard castrations were very painless."

"Who told you that?!" He put his hands over his crotch as if Mukuro would suddenly laser beam "it" off.

"Yomi. He's a doctor, you know."

"Well has he had it cut off?!"

"No he loves it too much."

"So how's he know?"

"I dunno but if he keeps jacking off like he does it will fall off." Slight pause. "That's how he went blind. His palms will go hairy after a while."

"He told me it was from holy water."

"He was lying."

"No, he looked s-"

"HE MASTURBATED TOO MUCH!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Look, you don't have to blow it off to keep me away from you."

"Okay. So you can go a month without trying anything and without me saying anything to you?"

"Hell yeah I can! I can go months without you!"

"Is that counting Shuichi?"

"Make that two months."

"You're a sick man, Hiei."

"You're a sick woman, Mukuro!" Points finger.

"How am I a sick woman?"

"You just are! That's why you're boobs are so small! It's punishment for your sickness!"

"I know they're small! Shut up!"

"So I'll prove I can go a month without trying anything."

"Sure."

---

"Shuichi?" Kaitou walked into the kitchen. He stared at his red haired friend who was busy with the oven. He glanced around the room for a moment. Flour on the floor and counters. Eggshells crushed on the ground like broken glass. Sugar scattered on the counter in constellations. Droplets of milk scattered. _And I thought he was a neat freak. _"Hey, your mother told me that all you've been doing lately is baking. She's worried."

Kurama death glared him. Evil aura… Evil aura… "You disturb me Kaitou. Get out."

"And your gayness disturbs me. We're even. No I won't leave." He watched him pull out a knife. "Put the knife down, Minamino! Good. No, put the flour down! Put it down or give d… A state of being penisless!"

Kurama hopped to the table, knife in hand and flour in the other, grinning evilly. He leaned forward raising the knife and just before the knife reached Kaitou's heart he said, "Okay, really. What'd you come for?"

"To see how you were doing…" Kaitou felt beads of sweat go down his forehead. "Your mother's getting worried."

"I dunno. I'm just trying to keep myself busy."

"What happened in Mexico?"

"Why do you always assume it was something in Mexico?'

"Because that guy lives there."

"Well, Hiei's a bisexual asshole!" He threw the dough at him but missed. "Now I have to get that off the wall."

"Hey how about you come with me to London to study abroad. I have a cousin that lives there and…" He put a hand on Kurama's shoulder. 'And then you can choose to be straight while you're there! My cousin told me their daughter is looking for a husband and…!"

"Kaitou."

"Yeah?"

"I hate you." Heart.

"Not what I was going for…"

---

"What's with the scary kid?" Hiei asked when he walked into the kitchen.

There was a kid there, probably about ten, death glaring Mukuro. He had black hair that stuck up in the back. His eyes were, oddly enough, pink. (It reminded Hiei of a rat but if he were to say that out loud he thought the kid would come after him with a giant pair of scissors or put a curse on him or something. He looked like he would anyway.) He was kind of dark but still somewhat pale nonetheless. He had pointy ears. (_Huh, didn't Yomi say he had a son? No, can't be him. This little bastard's too dark. He needs to be sickly pale to.._.)

"I dunno. He just came in and started glaring at me. That or he's trying to see how long his face can stay like that," she replied. "He looks like a homophobe.

"Homosexuals are disgusting and shouldn't be allowed to marry,' the kid growled in his cockney accented voice.

"Oh, I see how it is. Gays can't marry, huh? So you think they influence others into homosexuality and chose to be that way?!" She looked amused. "Well, lemme tell you something! If I had a choice of being homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual I would change my sexuality several times just to confuse people and be amused! I'll be a lesbian every three months for two consecutive months except for the first of September of the third of November when I decided I'll be bi for a day or two and sometimes three days in a row! Then on the week of my birthday or when Hanukah starts depending on which one comes first I'll be straight because people already torment me enough because I'm a Jew for some strange reason. Then when this scary guy right here comes I'll be a lesbian so I won't be interested enough to actually have sex with him but while he does somehow get me to do it he doesn't know I'm actually fanaticizing about his sister who I've only met once! Also, I think I'll be a lesbian when a guy proposes to me so I won't be interested enough to say yes to him but if I do have the gall to say yes and marry the asshole I'll make up my mind and stay a lesbian except for the first of September and the third of November when I'm bisexual and the week of my birthday and/or the beginning of Hanukah depending on what comes first. But because I'm married to a man and I'm a lesbian I would influence him to 'chose' to be gay which is awkward considering that he's a doctor and would therefore spread his gayness onto his patients and he also has a son so he'll molest his son since he no longer has interest in me. So his son would endure this and look for his wife to be but lo, he decided to be gay but when he realizes his father apparently 'left' him for another man so this results in the son killing… lover to get his father back but the father decided he couldn't take this crap and decided to be straight again and divorced me. But we're not talking about incest here so we'll stay away from that.

"And have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a gay president? I mean is it the first man or the first lady if he were married to his boyfriend? It would be pretty awkward if the president turned out to be the stereotypical one on the bottom and being girly with pretty dresses and…" She burst out laughing at the thought. "That'd be cool. A little twinkle toes president. Heh heh heh… And I think we should bring back a king. So then we could have a gay king with gay sons due to him being forced to marry to bring an heir to the throne. So again we have a gay king with gay sons because gay children only produce more gay children just as straight children only produce straight children with gay servants whose children are also gay who influence the other children to be gay. So we slowly develop into a great gay society. The best part would be when someone tries to destroy said gay society and the best part would be killing said gay king because the conquerors are homophobes and hate gays. Actually things like that make me wish I were there during the Reign of Terror so we can all kill Robespierre. Who can resist killing a ruler?

"Back on topic then. If my mother chose to be a lesbian then I would have to be gay because like I said before, gay parents would have to have gay children just as straight parents would have to have straight children. So if I decided to marry another woman there would also be nothing stopping me from marrying a cat because apparently a cat has legal status and can sign marriage contract. And we'll never adapt to something like that just as we never adapted to the cotton gin and the telegraph. It's also abnormal like freckles and red hair. But then again gays produce no children. Our orphanages aren't full enough. Also in a theocracy like ours we could never accept that. It worked so well in Salem when all those women were being hanged for witches!

"So because I'm gay I'd spread so much disease as I continue to have hot gay sex! I'm such a rat now that I'm a lesbian! And I'm also barren because of my homosexuality. I should have waited until I had a few children before I chose to be a lesbian! Bad choice! Bad! I'd also apparently destroy families just because of my choice because apparently we go house to house, knock on the door and have sex right on their porch when they open the door! And thus another American family is destroyed.

"Last statement: Your statement failed. Gays are targeted a lot as scapegoats but no one notices pedophilia." Silence. "You make take your seats now children."

The kid fainted.

"Ow… I think my head broke…" Hiei mumbled.

The door swung open. Yomi ran into the room. "I'm looking for my son. Apparently he ran off a while back and…"

"I think he's the kid that just fainted," Mukuro replied. "We just had a political debate regarding homosexuality. I don't think he liked being proven wrong."

"No, you just needed to calm down, woman!" Hiei growled.

"Sh!" She tapped him on the head.

"**Shura? Are you okay?**" Yomi shook the kid as he spoke in Gaelic.

"**Ach. Leave me alone. My head's pounding.**" The kid growled and forced himself to sit up looking dazed.

"**Dare I ask what happened?"**

"**Too much to say. So that's the whore you've been seeing all this time? She looks like one. She talks like one. If she weren't dressed like a man she would dress like one. You should've done better."  
**

"**Don't talk…"**

"**Forget I said anything."** He walked out. _Prick._

"What was that about? What's this about Mukuro being a whore?" Hiei asked.

"You understood all that?" Yomi asked.

"I knew an Irish guy that learned it from his parents. So you're Irish too?"

"Actually I'm half Scottish. My mother didn't bother learning English. Don't ask me how that worked."

"Ugh..." Mukuro sighed. _Another pain._

---

"Kaitou. I'm going to London with you."

"So you'll."

"I'm not marrying your cousin."

"Damn."

**End chapter 48**

Notes:  
1. Pig's blood-my awful reference to Stephen King's Carrie.  
2. Salem-Yeah. Once again. Look in The Crucible and you'll see what I mean. Basically everybody got screwed up because of the witch hunt.  
3. Reign of Terror- When Robespierre (guy who lead the French against King Louis XII and Marie Antoinette… I think) took power and killed anyone who was in any way associated with the monarchy… In a nutshell.  
4. Come after him with scissors- _Clock tower_ reference. I dunno the details.

Yeah. The rant I came up with from what I saw on gaia. Messed up stuff there. I'm getting off. My wrist hurts….


	49. Pressure

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 49**

"Look Kirin! I have my own stalker!" Mukuro joked and waved a hand at Shura who was death glaring her. She ruffled his hair. "Isn't he cute?" (_No._ Kirin thought.)

"I hate you!" Shura waved his arms around like he was throwing a temper tantrum. "Naaah!"

"...What was that?" Kirin asked and he backed away from him like he was possessed. Come to think of it can a demon even get possessed?

"I dunno... I think he just orgasmed or something..." Mukuro crouched so she could be at eye level with Shura. "Here. Take this penny and get candy."

"Naaah!" He slapped her hand. He looked like a cat about to strike. His hair even looked like it was starting to fluff. "I hate you! NAAAAAH!"

_Really. What the hell is that? If he's trying to be intimidating it's not working..._ "What kind of demon are you supposed to be? Are you a unicorn?"

"No I'm not!" Hiss!

"Don't be embarrassed about being a unicorn. I mean they must have horns for some reason other than just looking pretty like a lot of girls seem to think."

Shura tried to smack her but she caught his fist before it could make contact.

"I think I hurt his unicorn pride."

"Shut up! I'm not a unicorn!"

"What's with the horn then?"

"I dunno!"

Out of nowhere, she hugged him even though he took that opportunity to drive his horn into her chest even thought it only went one centimeter in.

"...Are you into little kids?" Kirin asked. "That's gross."

"No, I'm not," Mukuro replied sarcastically.

"Then why is this crazy looking kid here all of a sudden?"

"Remember that psychotic British guy that likes to stalk me?"

"Yeah."

"This is his kid."

"Oh, I... I see..." He noticed there was blood on her shirt. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Yes. Yes it does. Very much so."

Kirin walked away.

She let shura go free.

"Don't touch me again!" Shura growled.

"Why not?" she smirked.

""You disgust me. I hate you."

"The look on your face disgusts me. You look like you forgot to take your pill."

"Yeah well, you know what I have to go through because of you! I have no mum..."

"You actually had one."

"No. I feel bad for any woman that was with him... He told me he was gonna marry someone so I would have one though... But do you know how it feels when you're father's abandoning you for some whore in Boston?!"

_So here's his special experiment huh? Little bastard._ "Well you know... It's perfectly normal for a man to have two girlfriends even when he's married. We're a screwed up society."

"And that's the least of my worries..." His eyes went into spasms. "At home he throws back his head and laughs like an evil little person!"

"Actually he's always done that. Someone once beat him up for that."

"And he... Touches... His... Thing."

"What thing? My hand is a thing. I'm not disturbing you by touching my hand."

"No, the thing that's the thing that falls into a thing and creates things of great destruction and pleasure but still and awful thing because of some creations the thing creates because it's a thing!"

_Say what...? Oh he means he...? "_He always does that a lot. Nothing new."

"Yeah well I've seen him up all night sometimes..."

"Does thing concern his mast-"

"No! I've seen what he does... He... He cuts himself and lets the blood drip all over some papers and then he writes all these names all over it. Who the heck id Rebecca and Mary and Veronica and Joseph and David?!"

"Does he notice you...?"

"I asked and he said that it was to cure sickness! Cutting yourself does do that!"

"Well this is all very interesting..."

"Don't marry him! I don't want a sick person like you to be around him!"

"I already turned him down and you see how he takes it?"

"There's only one solution to this problem! You need to disappear! Quick! Give me your gun!"

"I'm not shooting myself."

"Then I'll do the job myself!" Maniacal laughter. Mukuro could've sworn he spouted fangs and surrounded himself with flames at that moment.

_He sounds like an axe murderer when he laughs._ "Do that and I'll have to arrest you. How old are you?"

"Eleven. I'll be twelve on September first."

"Yeah. I never liked arresting kids younger than thirteen."

Shura frowned and kicked her in the shins. "You better watch your back, bitch! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!"

Long silence. _They're both nuts..._

---

"Shuichi... I have something I have to ask you..." Kaitou said.

"Hm?" Kurama continued making his pe.

"You've... Uh... Had sex with Hiei haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"...Has he ever... Stuck it up your butt...?"

Kurama choked on air. "Kaitou!"

"What! Tell me!"

"Fine..." He looked around to see if anyone else was listening. "Once."

"What'd it feel like?"

"Well it kinda hurts and... Wait... Kaitou, what the hell?!"

"But it might benefit me later in life!"

"How?"

"I dunno!"

"Lemme tell you something! I learned there's an in hole and an out hole and things don't go in the out hole!"

Long silence. Kurama mumbled, "Maybe I'll go to Boston..."

"Boston? You have another lover?" Kaitou growled.

"No. It's Hiei's. I guess. We met on accident."

"Ah! But you can ask for her hand in marriage anyway!"

"But... I'm gay. And I'm sure she still likes Hiei."

"Why?"

"I saw her turn down a guy and then squash him without remorse. I doubt she'll have trouble with me."

"A liberated woman? My uncle caught one."

"Enough!"

---

"So since you're still stalking me, Shura, care to have another political debate?" Mukuro asked.

"Dear god, no!" Shura dropped the knife.

"Killing me won't solve anything. I'm pretty sure he has more women in mind after me."

"What a whore."

"Hold on." She walked out and brought in a mouse.

"What the hell are you doing that for?"

"Take it and cover it with your hands."

"But I..."

"Do it."

"Okay."

"Open 'em. It's not a mouse anymore. It's a dove." The dove flew towards the nearest window and died when it hit the ground. "Which side are you on? When we separate... When the call for glory is here... Which side are you on...?"

"You're creeping..." He backed away when he saw her eyes were glazed over.

"Yankee... Rebel..." She gave him a blank stare. "I blacked out. What?"

"You were saying crazy stuff about glory and... I knew it..." He narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

"I think your house is haunted." Shura changed the subject.

"This house isn't haunted! Even though I hear knocks on the walls when no one's here and the doors lock themselves without being able to be locked and I feel someone touching me in places I don't want to be touched but that's just Hiei and I hear something going up and down the halls at night and I see stuff in the corner of my eye and feel dread afterwards. But all that has a few valid explanations!"

"You have shadow people and poltergeists."

"I do...!" She dropped the plate in her hands and coughed up blood. _Not again..._

"What now?" Shura groaned.

She fell into the shards of glass with blood dripping from her lips.

"Oh shit!" He tried to drag her away from the glass. "Damn this bitch is heavy!"

He heard someone run in. "Mukuro, what the hell...?"

Shura turned around to see Hiei.

"The hell did you do?!" Hiei growled.

"She...!" He bolted out.

"You...!" He went to Mukuro. _Shit. She's got glass in her chest. If she dies I'm killing that bastard._

"Hey, I saw some weird kid...! Holy...!" Yusuke screamed when he saw Mukuro.

"Get Yomi." was all Hiei said before dragging Mukuro to bed.

"Yeah... I'll do that..." He ran out. _Something big is wrong with her._

---

Kurama watched the sunset at the beach. _So ends another day. What're we gonna do with ourselves, Youko?_

_Don't ask me. It's your body._

"Kaitou?" Kurama sat up and looked at his friend. "What're you...?"

"It's my mother's present. I'm collecting shells," Kaitou replied as he picked up a sand dollar.

"Cheapskate!"

"You do the same!"

"When I was five, yes! By the way... Tell my mom I'm going to Boston."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm coming too!"

"Why?"

"I'm your supervisor."

"She's nice. She won't try anything."

"I'm coming! Hold on!" Kaitou ran home. Kurama sighed and laid back down.

**End chapter 49**

Notes:  
1. Penny- Back in this time kids get excited when they get pennies. You could buy candy with that.  
2. Hair fluff. When cats are pissed, excited, or scared they fluff their fur.  
3. Shadow people and poltergeists- Shadow people are basically ghosts that look like massless shadows. They are usually reported as floating around like they're swimming and having red eyes. Apparently you feel dread after seeing one. Poltergeists are usually invisible ghosts. (Hence the name. I think it means noise maker.) They usually make a lot of noise and sometimes cut things like clothes into weird shapes usually crescents.

Yeah. I rushed at the end. My wrist hurts... Uh...

ZOMG! Gansta Party! (Midnight June 6, 2007) Stockton, CA. Apparently there was a party early Wednesday morning. The theme? Gangsters. There were minors drinking and showing up in red and blue with toy guns. When the police came (The neighbors were bothered by the noise.) they were confused by all the kids running out in red and blue. The police asked the father why allowed such a thing and he replied by telling them he thought they meant the gangsters of the 20's like Al Capone. (They meant gangsters as in stuff like the Crips.) As for the underage drinking, he just said that he didn't think they would get into it.

Yeah. That's it. Review please!


	50. Numb

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 50**

Mukuro woke up with a stinging pain in her chest. She groaned and tried to sit up but found there was something holding her down. She put a hand on her chest to find there was someone's hand there holding her down. She opened her eyes and looked to her left to see that it was Yomi who was pulling the shards of the plate out of her chest. "Yomi..."

"Apparently that Yusuke fellow said..." Yomi was interrupted.

"I know what happened to me. It's that your hand is on my breast. I understand if you need it there to know where your other hand is but you're squeezing it and it hurts. You mind not squeezing it?"

"Ehh..." Yomi took out the last shard. "I'm done here. And you threw up blood also?"

She nodded.

"Ulcer?"

"Apparently."

"Either that or you have stomach cancer. Or maybe you _are _pregnant and your body can't handle it."

"Yomi. This has been going on for a few years. Stop assuming it's pregnancy."

"Well I have to admit that some of the things you've done haven't been very wise..." He shook his head. "But when you put it that way it's illogical to think so. Get some rest. I'll try and find some medicine for you." He kissed her on her forehead.

"Don't do that," She rolled over.

He sighed and walked out. He stopped in the doorway. "You know what they do to people who eavesdrop in England?"

Hiei growled. "Screw you. I wasn't listening. I just wanted to see if she was alright. Her health's screwed up and that glass could've killed her."

"I see." He started to walk away.

"You knew her when she was a kid. Did this happen that often?"

"No. She was prone to sickness but not this bad. She started throwing up blood when she was raped or so Koenma tells me. I guess I'm right in not assuming she's not pregnant. I'm not sure she can get pregnant. I'm not sure she can take it let alone giving birth to the child. I think she may be nearing her death. If it won't be sickness that would kill her it would be her diabetes. She doesn't take care of herself. Let's ope for the best." He walked out.

Hiei sat at her bedside. Come to think of it Mukuro seemed healthier when she first met him. Or maybe it was because they didn't know each other well enough back then. But death? No, couldn't be, could it?

Actually he remembered the last time they made love it seemed like she was having a hard time breathing. He asked her if something was wrong but she didn't answer.

_Something's wrong..._ Hiei thought as he laid down next to her, his arm around her waist. Normally she would have woken up to see what was going on but these days she was sleeping deeper. "Just keep sleeping."

---

Mukuro was waiting for the kettle to whistle when Hiei came and hugged her from behind. Long silence.

"It's all my fault, isn't it?" Hiei finally asked.

"How I'm slowly going mad? Yes."

"No. Your health."

"Not at all. It's stress. Nothing more."

"Exactly."

"No. I just let everything get to me. I feel sick."

"What're you doing up then?"

"I'm tough. I can handle a little pain."

"It hurts?"

"A little."

Hiei sighed. "I'll go get that medicine from Yomi. That would help..."

"I'm not taking it."

"Why not?" He turned Mukuro so she could face him.

"Because..." The kettle's whistle drowned her voice out.

"Maybe I should be glad that that kettle went off..." More silence. "So what're you gonna do about your ulcers then? If you let everything get to you then there's no way the source of stress could be taken away. Maybe..."

Mukuro slammed a cup down. "I assume you think I'm pregnant too even though I've already told you that I'm not. Why is it that you keep thinking I am?"

"Wishful thinking?"

"What so you can use it as a reason not to see Shuichi again?" She tightened her grip on the stove even though it left a burn in her hands. She didn't care. She didn't want to fall.

"I think you should-" Hiei was about to grab her shoulder but she slapped his hand.

"Don't touch me! **I feel...**" She fainted but Hiei caught her before she hit the ground.

"Is this how you treat the man who broke your shackles?" Hiei mumbled as he took her to bed.

---

Hiei ran into the bar a few hours later with a bottle of medicine in his hand. He saw Yusuke sitting next to an unconscious Mukuro.

"There she is! I've been looking for her. I guess she took off when I got the medicine from Yomi." Hiei glanced at Mukuro. "She really shouldn't be drinking right now."

"Yeah well they say people shouldn't be drinking at all," Yusuke replied.

"No. She threw up blood again."

"Stress again?"

"Yeah."

Hiei sighed and rested Mukuro's head on his lap. "I think I know the source of Mukuro's stress."

"Really now?" Yusuke replied irritably.

"Yeah. It's me."

"Duh! You just figured that out? You're a huge trouble maker... I'm surprised Kurama didn't throw up blood! We keep telling you but you don't get it!"

"Guess I'm too dumb to realize..."

"You don't care. Just go. I'm sick of you."

Hiei sighed and dragged Mukuro out with him.

---

MUkuro started the morning off by falling off her bed, crashing into three walls, tripping over nothing four times, tripping over two chairs and cursing herself out for putting the damn things there in the fist place

_What a way to start the day... This whole month's been screwed up. Maybe it's because Hiei hasn't been having sex with me... How's that work? _She shook off the thought. _Speaking of which where's the storm anyway? Oh, I hope he's not here or he won't let me work._

She looked around. _Looks like the coast is clear. I'll..._ She froze when she saw Hiei. _Crap..._

"Eh... You've gotten up early..." she mumbled.

Hiei held up a dead chicken that was bleeding at the throat, tears forming in his eyes.

"Yeah, that's a chicken, love."

He nodded.

"You want me to have it?"

Nod, nod.

"Sure..." She took it and put it on the table. "Quit looking at me like that. Look if it was something I said, I'm sorry."

Sadness aura.

"Was it really that bad?"

Shakes head.

"What's wrong, love?"

No reply.

"Okay, now you're starting to make me feel bad."

More sadness aura.

She hugged him. "Okay, tell Mukuro what's wrong."

Even more sadness aura. A few moments passed.

"Okay I have to go to work now..." She tried to walk to the door but Hiei grabbed her by the sleeve of her shirt. "What?"

Puppy dog eyes.

"Why don't you say anything?"

Depression aura.

"I'm going to work if you don't say anything."

Blank look. He held up a piece of paper that said, "I can't speak. I lost my voice. But I still order you to stay home!"

She narrowed her eyes and picked up a heavy book. She dropped it on his foot, causing him to whimper in pain. "What was that just now?"

He held up another paper that said, "you didn't hear that just now."

"Does this have anything to do with yesterday? You gotta admit you can be a real asshole sometimes..."

"Okay. You win this one. But you're still not working. What if you throw up and find out you're a woman?"

"It's happened before and they didn't find out. No, I'm still going to work."

"NO YOU ARENT ):("

"Watch me!" She walked out.

Hiei stared at the door and sighed. _But it's just that..._

**End chapter 50**

Yeah. This bumped into my Hitler picture viewing session. Yeah. I got bored. The next one's filler. Ugh...

**Extra 45 Because it's a cool number**

"Ha ha! Our styles are better than yours!" Yusuke laughed at Shura.  
"Better to wear tight pants than to barely wear them," he growled.  
"Let's listen to rap!"  
"Sure."  
He turned to radio on. "Yeah (bleep) I (bleeped) the (bleeping) bitch! (Bleep, bleep, bleep!)"  
"This sucks." Shura walked out.  
"What a nerd. Hating rap." Yusuke turned it up.

Review please.


	51. Hand In Hand

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 51**

Two weeks passed.

"Greetings and salutations!" Kurama greeted Mukuro that day with a smile.

"Ah, Shuichi!" Mukuro replied after trying to remember Kurama for a moment.

"Oh and this is a friend of mine. His name is Kaitou!" He waved a hand at Kaitou who was staring at Mukuro like she was a bomb about to go off.

"A... Are you really a woman?" Kaitou stuttered.

"Kaitou!" Kurama smacked his forehead.

"Do I look like one?" Mukuro challenged him.

"Then you aren't dressed properly!" Kaitou replied accusingly.

"No, the only time I'm not dressed properly is if I'm running around naked or wearing pink at a funeral. But I'm not naked or wearing pink at a funeral. So no, Kaitou, I'm not not dressed properly."

"You're supposed to be in a dress!"

"Oh so did God come down from the heavens and tell you that He created women so they could prance around in pretty dresses and spend all day getting pregnant and bearing hundreds of children? Hell no! And I'll keep dressing like this until He does so screw you!"

"But it's a rule of society..."

"Is it written anywhere? So it's not a rule of society. End of political debate."

"So..." Kurama tripped over something. "What was...? Hiei? Sleeping on the floor? What's he...?"

"I dunno why but he sleeps on the floor all of a sudden," MUkuro replied. "I ignore him."

Kurama frowned and crouched by Hiei. "Hey Hiei... EVERYBODY RUN! THE RAPTURE'S HERE!"

Hiei shot up. "OHMYGOD! I'VE BEEN LEFT BEHIND! WHERE'S 666? WHERE IS THE SIX HEADED BEAST? ARE THE HORSEMEN HERE YET? IS THERE A BATTLE AT ARMAGEDDON YET?!" He hid under the table.

Long silence.

"So I take it you'll be talking now, Hiei?" Mukuro asked.

Hiei held up a piece of paper. "You didn't just hear that."

"Why aren't you talking?" Kurama asked.

"Yo no hablo ingles." He wrote.

"Yeah well, yo hablo espanol."

He frowned and scurried out of the room.

"So..." Kaitou was about to go on about how Mukuro was dressed again.

"Quit asking. You don't get any sexual stimulation from my legs. Why don't I just take off my shirt and see if you get anything from that?" she growled.

"You'd do that?"

"If you make me dare." She put a hand on her shirt.

"You're gross." He seemed to cower.

"You started this off."

"I can't believe you're going to marry Shuichi," Kaitou grumbled.

"Say what? Me marry him? But he's gay. And I barely know him. I wouldn't just jump to marriage like that. Who told you I was going to marry him?"

"AND you're cheating on him!" Kaitou went on.

"That's madness! I'm not cheating on anyone! What're you talking about?!" She waved her arms around. "Are you some matchmaker from China or something?"

"He's British. I dunno what his problem is either," Kurama replied. ("Et tu, Shuichi?" Kaitou whined.) "By the way, this might be good bye for us. I have to go to school in London with him."

"But we have the best school system here. Why cross the ocean for something lesser?" Mukuro asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I dunno. I guess I want to see something more."

"**Running away too?"**

"And you're French!" Kaitou cried.

"I'm German and British, you fuck off!" She growled at him.

"You did not just...!" Kaitou was interrupted.

"I damn well did, bitch! Screw you! That's what happens when you piss off a Jew!"

_What's that have to do with anything?_ "You're so vulgar. You're a really sick person."

"If I were a sick person I would have cut out your heart, nailed it to a wall and eaten all your organs," She replied, crossing her arms.

"But that's okay in other countries," Kaitou replied smugly.

"You enjoy contradicting me don't you?"

"Actually, yes, yes I do."

"Okay well what is is and what isn't isn't or so we think we know what we know yet are we sure all we know knowing what we know we may not know or think we know or not think we know? I think you're thinking I'm thinking I'm knowing knowledge without knowing I know or thinking I think I think I know I know I think I know I think I think I know I know that your saying you know what I'm saying? You know what I mean, soul brother? Try contradicting me now, Kaitou!"

"Wait... You think... I know... W... What?"

"Yeah, it hurt, didn't it?"

"My head? Yes. Very much so...?"

"And this knife down your throat will hurt just the same."

"Eep!"

"Kaitou's kinda eccentric so you should take it easy on him. You can cuss him out all you want but no knives in the throat!" Kurama waved his hands around.

"Normally I'd refuse but since I like you, I'll listen. I was kidding anyway. Worms like that need a scare every once in a while." She put the knife down.

"By the way... Isn't Mukuro a Japanese name? If you're German and British how'd that work?"

"A Japanese man was talking to my father about how his father was murdered. He heard the word mukuro in there so he figured it meant grace. My mother gave birth to me the next day and he was sad that I turned out to be a girl; so he named me mukuro instead of Peter. Sad thing it is. He went to an elite school and he's still an idiot. Rich people are so stupid."

"You come from a rich family?' Kaitou gasped.

"Yeah. What's it matter?" She crossed her arms.

"But..."

Yomi ran in. "What's going on?"

"Not you!" She smacked her forehead.

"Is Johnny Cade here?!"

"No! And he'll never be!"

"Is he dead?"

"Didn't I just go through telling you that he doesn't exist?"

"He doesn't? Why would you do that?" He made a face that looked something like TT.TT.

"You were dropped a lot as an infant weren't you?"

"Seven times, my mother says..." Emo aura.

"What...?"

"Shut up and eat this," Mukuro shoved a potato cake in Kaitou's mouth.

"Whar are ou being abusive oof me?" Kaitou shook a fist. He swallowed. "Actually that was pretty good. I could be happily married to you."

Yomi pointed the rifle at him.

"Put that down!"

He sat down still growling like a dog getting his food taken away.

"Yomi, remember what the crazy Austrian man in the story says: Keine geschletdrogen oder-shapse. And the French man replies Aucune drogues ou boissons alcoolisees de sexe." She waved a finger at him.

"What? I don't understand any of this..." Kurama asked.

Long silence.

"You were just owned Kurama. You just picked the hat molesting the duck. Your hat is horrible. I win!" Hiei voice was heard in the hall. "By the way, Mukuro, a door's locked and I can't get in there!"

"None of the doors can... Get... Locked..." _The ghosts..._

"I think your house is haunted, Mukuro," Yomi said.

"Who asked you?!" Mukuro growled. More silence.

---

"Hey."

Mukuro woke up and saw Hiei standing over her. "Mm... Hiei? It's the middle of the night. Go back to sleep."

"Yeah but I wanted to talk to you."

"Can't it wait?"

"I'm gonna be going."

"You leave without saying anything all the time. What makes this different?"

"Yeah, well, I'm changing."

_Goddamn this man,_ "It's a little late now."

"It never is. You know it's been over a month..."

Mukuro flung her pistol into her face. "Leave me alone."

"What the hell?! You sleep with that thing, too?! I... I taste blood!" He wiped a hand on his face. "I'm bleeding!"

"Well there's a lot of it. You look like an evil dictator that would someday try to take over the world when the blood on your upper lip like that." She rolled over. "I don't know why I bother with you sometimes."

Hiei sighed and walked to the doorway. "I... don't want to fight you anymore."

"Me neither. But you make me."

When she heard the door close, she put a hand on her stomach. "I know it's not there but..."

**End chapter 51**

Notes:

1. Rapture and all that- Reference to the Book of Revelations in the bible.  
2. Mukuro means something like body or corpse in Japanese.  
3. What Mukuro said in German and French- No sex, drugs, or booze.  
4. What the hell was Mukuro doing in the end? Not telling!

I'm not going on in a while. I have summer reading so... I won't update for a few weeks. I can reply to messages but I won't update. Don't expect double updates either. I'm too close to the written version to do that. Uh... Yeah... (goes back to laughing at Hitler)


	52. Beautiful Alone

If Yu Yu Hakusho were in the 80's this joke may be in it:

Yusuke waved a paper in Kuwabara's face. "I got Keiko's number!

_867-5309?_ "Good luck with that one Urameshi."

And on to our feature presentation.

**Ride like the Wind**

**Chapter 50**

December 25, 1850

There was a knock on the door. Mukuro stared at it and then at the candles she lit. She stared at the door again and walked to the kitchen to get a knife, expecting Yomi this time. _Come to think of it didn't he say he was supposed to be in London on Christmas day?_

She answered it anyway and was greeted with...

"Merry Christmas!" Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei (actually his greeting was "Screw it. Merry Christmas.') and Yukina cheered. And Shura just happened to be dragged with them just stared at the knife in Mukuro's hand like a dog about to get neutered and praying his other part to go away in peace and safety. Then he shrugged and stared at her legs because, come on people! This is the 1800's! People had the girl's legs covered all the time!

"Why do you have a knife..." Shura mumbled.

She just gave him a deer in the headlights look.

"Told you the element of surprise would be too much for her," Kuwabara whispered to Yusuke only to get nudged in the stomach.

"I got wine so we could all get drunk. Well, except Shura cause he's a little kid," Yusuke added.

"I'm not a little..." Shura was interrupted.

"You are if you're not at my hips! So shut up, Shorty!"

And Shura cried. But no one cared.

"So basically you're forcing this on me because I refused before?" Mukuro asked, a catlike stare/glare on her face. "I have more important things to do."

"Like what?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow.

"...Things like what you do on Thursdays."

"Masturbate? But..."

"Don't ask how I know how to do it. Prostitutes are scary people."

"So what... You're not gonna celebrate because you're Jewish?"

"Pretty much. I got a week to celebrate Hanukkah. That's why Jews are so great. We can party for a week and people of our own religion won't care.'

"Can we come in anyway? It's cold..." Kurama half mumbled.

"You seem out of it," Hiei said as he walked in.

Mukuro replied with a shrug and said something in German. She added in English, "So you want me to get you anything?"

"No, I have all we need. You need to rest," Yusuke argued.

"Don't argue with me. I just like to keep my hands busy. If you don't like it, get the hell out. Don't try being nice to me because I have ulcers. It's my own damn fault for drinking too much or stressing myself out or whatever the hell it is that makes me have them. Bugs the hell out of me when people try to be nice to me because they know something's wrong with me," Mukuro growled.

"Not my fault I care about my friends. Quit being bitchy about it."

"Yusuke, I think you're hurting more than you're helping," Kurama broke in.

"What, don't you care?" Yusuke growled.

"No, I..."

"You two go at each other's throats! I'm out of here! Goddamn!" Mukuro walked into the kitchen.

Hiei poked his head in. "Mukuro...?"

"Goddamn it! Can't I be by myself for five seconds? What?!" She death glared him.

"But..." Teary eyes. "This is how you treat the guy who loves you! I give you my love in a basket of love and you throw it away! Keep your love!"

"Honestly, Hiei, if it were in a basket with love in it, it would be a basket of love."

"Ugh. I give you my love in a basket of carrots..."

"Are you trying to kill me? I'm allergic to carrots."

"I give you my love in a basket of beer..."

"Am I a drunk now?"

"Ugh... I give you my love in a basket of whatever the hell it is you eat and you throw it away! Keep your love!"

"Actually I would eat what's in there and then throw it away."

"See what I mean!"

"Hiei, I come back here to blow off steam and what do you do? Add more to the pot!"

"Drink some wine, that'll soften you..."

"Screw you!"

Somehow Yomi suddenly fell from the ceiling.

"How'd you get up there?" Hiei asked.

"Well, I..." Yomi was interrupted.

"Get a glass of shut the hell up and get the hell out of here and entertain the children." He shoved the taller demon out of the room. He turned and saw Mukuro fighting with the window. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting out of here!" The latch broke. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Of pie! Apple pie and getting out and eating some because you all are pissing me off!"

"Take a deep breath!"

She whacked him on the head with a frying pan and fought with another latch. This time she got out to get some pie... Well it was closed actually but she got pie somehow.

Meanwhile Yomi screamed at everyone, "WHY ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!? WHAT? HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN A BLIND BRITISH MAN BEFORE?!"

"No. Nor have we seen one as sickly pale as you are,' Yusuke replied smugly.

"I am not..." Yomi was interrupted by Shura.

"Well actually you are. It's hard to find anyone as pale as you are. I mean, people can see your veins through your skin,' he replied.

"You cannot!" _You can?_

And Shura cried but no one cared.

"This is how all British look!" Yomi replied, arms crossed.

"Mukuro looks like a brownie when she stands next to you!" Yusuke replied.

"She's just dark for a German-British... Norwegian... Canadian... French... Polish... Spanish... Portugese... Austrian... Hungarian... Finnish... Russian..."

"Okay we get the point! Her race doesn't make sense! Whatever but she's sickly pale like you!"

"That's not nice..." Yukina whispered to them both.

"Yeah, listen to Yukina!" Kuwabara jumped in.

"You should apologize."

"Yeah, apologize!"

_What a dork. _"Fine. Yomi, have my shirt." He took off his shirt.

"Say what? You disgust me!" Yomi shook his fist at him.

"I kept it warm with my body heat."

No reply.

"Sure, take stuff from Mukuro but not from me?"

"Because it would be stepping all over her heart!"

_Stepping on her heart! Whatever! _"What and you step on mine!"'

"It's okay for two men to hate each other but not a man and a woman!'

Mukuro suddenly walked into the house, shoving a huge piece of pie in her mouth, ignoring stares. "I'm home."

"How did you get out?" Yomi asked.

"I jumped out the window."

"Why didn't that Mexican say anything?"

"I hit him with a frying pan."

"That's not nice, is it Yukina!" Kuwabara turned to her. She just stared at him. "She says no!"

"Yomi, make her happy by shooting her a giraffe!" Yusuke broke in.

"Giraffes don't exist, Yusuke," Mukuro replied. "They're an invention of the British. See three British guys were in the country of Africa..."

Cough. "Africa is a continent!" Cough.

"Whatever. So the first British guy says I shot myself a lion! He was all with the mane and he was like grar! And the second one says I just shot a bear! I great big husky bear with the little tail and he was like grar! And the third British guy was like I shot myself a twenty foot tall creature. And the two wondered what it was. They were told that he found a giraffe eating but it fell off a cliff. And what the hell do giraffes say? Cows go moo. Dogs bark. Cats meow. What do giraffes? End political debate."

Hiei stumbled in. "What the hell lady! I'm gonna get you for that!"

"Auch!" she ran out, taking the pie with her for some reason.

"What the..." Kurama stared.

"This will be over soon. Mukuro can't stand the cold," Yomi said.

When Hiei caught up to her, he grabbed her by the arm. "I'll sing you a song...

"Estas son las mananitas

que cantaba el Rey David

pero no eran tan bonitas

como las cantan aqui

"Despeirta mi bien despeirta

mira que ya amane cio

y a los pajarillos cantan

la luna y a se metio..."

"Hiei her birthday was four days ago!" Yusuke called from the house.

"So what! I don't care! Come on out!" Everybody except Yomi who was dragged out shrugged and came out.

---

"You you're still here to drive me insane?" Mukuro asked Hiei once everybody else was gone.

"Nah. I kinda have a reason this time," Hiei replied.

She looked at the window. "You didn't before?"

"Not if you don't count getting a good screw is a reason. I have a better one now."

"If you say so."

"No." he took her by the hands and when she looked at him. He looked her in the eye. "Listen. You would marry me, won't you?"

"HIei." She pulled away from him. She held up her left hand. "Don't be a smart ass on this one. What's this?"

"A ring."

"I'm engaged. I'm going to get married next month."

"To who?"

"Yomi.'

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess the guy needs to get false love for a while even though he had it all his life. Someone needs to have me if they want me."

"But _I _love you."

"No. No, don't say that. You're both alike. You say you love me but you don't mean it and neither of you can really have me. Shuichi has your heart. You only want me for the reason you said before. I'm no good for you if you have Shuichi. You only want my kid because you think that'll make someone love you but people do. I do. Shuichi does. I always free but you're never free. Go on. Go back to him. All we all really need is a little love. He won't keep you waiting."

"If he does?"

"...Only if you don't love him anymore..." She walked away from him.

---

"So you'll be studying in London?" Hiei asked.

"Yeah. Biology." He stared at the shore. He drew a swirl in the sand with a stick.

"When are you coming home?"

"I don't know... Five years, ten?"

Hiei felt the pit in his stomach. _But I can't come with him. I'm alone again. _

"Do you think the sunsets look this good in London? Is the moon clear like in Mexico?"

"I dunno... I dunno..." Hiei fell. "But why?"

And only the wind answered, "I dunno. I dunno."

"But every story needs an end, Hiei."

**End chapter 50. End part one**

Thanks for reading. I gotta update quick now. Talk to ya'll later.


	53. Purpose

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 53**

"What?!" Koenma pointed at the note on Mukuro's door, his eyes bulging.

"Well, this is unexpected," Botan replied as if that were supposed to make him feel better. Yusuke tore off the note and handed it to her with a look of apathy on his face. Botan read the note out loud to validate the words. "Hey, whoever's reading this. If this note's here I'm either dead, killing myself, away on some trip or locking myself up in the house and laughing at you because you can't come inside. And she wrote under it Will not be coming back. Hm. She must be gone, Father."

"What the hell! How can she do this to me?!" Koenma screamed into the sky. "If my country's winter could stop Napoleon then it would freeze her! And she can't stand the cold! If Russia and her tiny German tribes fight, Russia would still win! My country owns her country! Er, tribe thing."

"Yeah, but Britain's navy would stop Russia's." Botan replied with nationalism.

"Silence, you!" Koenma banged a fist against his forehead in frustration. He turned to Yusuke. "Where'd she go?"

"She went to London. I told you a hundred times already and do you listen? No," Yusuke replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Why?!"

"She got married."

"Then why didn't she and Hiei just stay here or in Mexico?!"

"She didn't marry Hiei. She married Yomi for some reason."

"Well that's fine and dandy. I hope they have lots of deformed children together." Koenma rubbed his temples.

"That's messed up, man!"

"Look, I don't care about that. I came here because I hoped she would help me out with this situation but it turns out she';ll be involved too."

"What? You mean something's going down in London?"

"Yeah."

"What's the deal then."

Koenma gave him a folded piece of paper. "This. They could both be killed with him around. Damn, I wish she could've told me. Why go to London?"

Yusuke glanced at it and his eyes widened.

---

They stood in the mid February snowfall, their luggage in hand. They sky was grey like the snow underneath it like a mirror. The crowds were shifting up and down the streets with constant noises of chatter and laughter. The harsh cold wind blew harder into Kurama's face.

"It doesn't feel right," Kurama finally said, looking at the crowds with dismay. He breathed into his hands to warm them up. "It's freezing. Worse than San Francisco."

"It's weird because you're not used to it here. You'll grow into it." He sighed. "It feels good to be home at last." Kaitou turned to Kurama. "We'll be staying at my cousin's house. Now, I want you to be..."

"I know. I needs to be polite at all times. No sex, drugs or booze, et cetera, et cetera. I just feel awkward, not forgetful. I can't believe everyone here speaks English. Kinda refreshing actually."

"Listen, those girls over there are looking. Flash them a smile."

"I don't want to. And you know I'm not into women."

"Oh, quit it! Gain confidence!" Kaitou put his hands on Kurama's shoulder. "Shuichi Minamino, you are a queen! Confident, compassionate... Give me another adjective that starts with a c."

"Kind?"

"That starts with a K."

"Oh. Charismatic."

"Yes! That too! You are a queen! Flash a smile."

Kurama frowned. "What are you implying? That I go in women's clothes?"

Under his breath, Kaitou mumbled, "Could be."

"What?!" Kurama pulled away and stared at Kaitou like he was a wild animal about to attack him. "I don't know you anymore!" He ran away.

"Get back here, Minamino!" Kurama was too fast for him. "Shuichi! Wait for mee! You'll get looost!"

---

"Okay, son. You get outta bed now. It's noon and there's crops that aren't gonna help themselves outta the rain. Out, now," John poked Hiei who groaned.

"Leave me alone, I'm angsting," Hiei rolled over in bed.

"You always are. Get up."

"No..." He pulled the covers over his head. "I was indirectly dumped. Leave me alone."

"Hiei, I've indirectly dumped hundreds of women and they felt pretty bad about it for a while too but they got over it. It was only about the hair anyway."

"Yeah well, my problem is that you won't leave me alone. Get the fuck out."

Pout! "Fine!"

Hiei drifted back to sleep. At some point he woke up feeling something was put in his mouth. Unconsciously he started to suck on it. He was about to drift back to sleep when his eyes shot open and he grabbed the object in his mouth.

"What the hell, John! What is this? A bottle? What the hell is wrong with you! And it has milk! You know I can't have milk!" Hiei screamed at John.

"Whatever! It's all in your head!" John shook a fist at him.

"It's not in my head! What about that time I drank milk and threw up!"

"IT is! Besides, you're acting like someone who needs one too! Would it be better if I convinced your girl to come back? Who is she?"

"She's married."

"Marr- How can you do that to a good man!"

"She just got married. Not everyone knew she wasn't a man."

John's eyes bulged. "You mean... You and Eikenberry were seriously... Screwing with each other? And he's a she?"

'Yeah." He rolled his eyes.

"What'd her boobs look like? Are they so small that you can hold them in your hands? I prefer the big ones. But not so big that they start to look like grapefruits but no so small that you can barely tell trey're there. I like it when the nipple blends in with the skin not when it's all dark like chocolate. And no hair either. Only men reserve the right to have hairy nipples and..."

Hiei flopped out of bed. "I'm out of here."

"Why do they always run?"

--

Shura woke up in the middle of the night to get a midnight snack. He walked in the darkness and saw mukuro sitting in the kitchen holding her arm in one hand and with the other holding it to her nose.

"Can't sleep?" he asked. He knew the answer. He saw what happened to her but hell, might as well play the part of the clueless little kid like he always did.

Mukuro glanced at him like a beat dog. "Go to sleep."

"Me neither. Keep thinking about naked women."

"Say what?!" She nearly fell over. "You disgust me! And you're only twelve!"

"I'll be thirteen in September. But I stay with older guys. They know the stuff. You were thinking the same thing? That'd be great."

"I thought you hated that kind of thing."

"No. Homosexuals are gross. But lesbians are great."

"They're the same."

"No, otherwise I'd hate them!" He went to a cabinet.

"Get me some chocolate and marmalade while you're up there." She watched him.

"You're gross." But he gave it to her anyway. He looked for a knife. "And I told you not to marry my father."

"I had no choice."

"Fine, I'll forgive you if you give me a German chocolate cake."

"A what?'

**End chapter 53**

That was anticlimactic.


	54. Welcome to the Jungle

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 54**

"Maya! We're here!" Kaitou called into the empty house. He grumbled something that was overpowered by the sound of its echo. Kurama guessed it was something along the lines of "Where the hell is this damn girl?" He yelled again, "Maya! I know you're in here! You better not be playing that Ouija board!"

"Are you sure she'd here? And what makes you think she'd be playing..." Kurama froze when they turned the corner to see a girl with her fingers glued to the board. Her fingers slid towards bye.

"No, Uncle Jack don't go!" the girl cried. "They want to say hello!" The fingers went to the word hello on the board. They spelled "I-H-A-V-E-TO-G-O-M-A-Y-A. G-O-O-D-B-Y-E." and slid back to the word goodbye. "Uncle Jack..." She took her fingers away from the board. "Kaitou! You made uncle Jack go away!"

"I don't care if you were talking to the queen! No Ouija Board for you! And that makes such an awful impression on you! Throw that thing in the fire." Kaitou took it from the table and threw it in the open flames. The room was filled with blood curdling screams. Maya stared at the ashes her eyes wide with fear.

She turned to Kurama. "You must be the American Kaitou wanted to bring. I'm sorry you had to see that awful display. I'm Maya Kitajima." She kissed the redhead on the forehead. "I'll get the tea." She walked out of the room, clearly upset.

"She'll smell the demon on you. She's into that kind of stuff. Don't let her get to you. She can be nice and..." Kaitou was interrupted.

"I"m sure she is. But you trying to convince me won't work," Kurama replied. He stared at the ashes that was once a Ouija board. "That thing will come back. They always do. I know my brother has one. He tried to get rid of it to hide it from us but I saw him try to be rid of it."

"Oh god..." Kaitou sighed. "Try not to let her find out you're..."

"Ah! Kaitou! I recognized the voice." Someone walked in with a bottle of champagne. "I knew you would return to England one day. And in time for our classes."

"Hello, Sakyo." Kaitou greeted him sourly.

"Another cousin?" Kurama asked.

"No, no relation between us. I'm a friend of Maya's you see. I'm sure you..." He stopped and stared at the ashes. "...met her. And her uncle, I believe."

"Ah, I'm Shuichi Minamino." Kurama shook Sakyo's hand. "A pleasure."

"Ah, an American. Delighted. Or are you one of those Japanese men that come to see the beauty in the west?"

"American. That happens to be part Japanese."

"And what do you mean by our classes?" Kaitou added bitterly.

"I mean we are taking the same classes at the same school. Maya showed me your letter. Pleasure to be in the same class. And Shuichi, I hope we become close friends. I've been losing so many. I knew a man in Mexico that was killed because of his fetish for demons. He was a good mayor." He saw Maya struggle to carry all the teacups. "Need any help Maya?"

"No. I have it here."

Kaitou frowned.

---

"You're gonna crash into someone," Shura said.

Mitarai ignored him and continued to focus on the paper with the list of his books to notice. "You jumped onto another grade level? Your father must be proud."

"Yeah, you dumb Frenchman. You're gonna crash."

"What did you-?!" He crashed into someone. "Ow! I'm sorry... Kurama?"

Kurama who was walking with Kaitou stared down at the blonde. "Mitarai? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Paris or somewhere in France."

"Oh, I'm studying for medical school here with this boy's father." He pointed at Shura who looked outraged with that comment.

"I'm Shura, not this boy!" He kicked Mitarai in the shins. "And they know who I am."

"I don't know who you are," Kaitou broke in. "But I have seen a psychotic man that looks like you."

"That's my father."

"I thought you lived in New Jersey, Shura." Kurama replied. "What brought you to London?"

"Yomi got married," Shura replied simply.

"To who?"

"Who else? That whore Mukuro."

"He did? And she's no..."

"I thought you knew since that weird Mexican guy whines about her so much. What was his name? Hiei? How has he been anyway?"

_He actually cares?_ "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a while. I bet that he's been moping. He's actually an emotional guy despite what people say. And Mukuro..."

"She..." He looked like he was just smacked on the back of the head. "Is... Well." He half tripped over the word well.

"We have to go, Shura. I'll see you later, Kurama." Mitarai dragged the demon, who was staring at the redhead, away.

_Yomi married Mukuro? Who knew?_

---

"Would you lay off on that whatever it is you're drinking! If I could inspire Yomi to quit masturbating and cussing so much I could get you off alcohol." Koenma growled.

"Yeah and I do the same. You never cut me off mine. Leave me alone. I'm just not feeling it today. Go back to Russia and leave me alone." Hiei groaned from bed.

"Go back to Russia! The words that come from your mouth! I say you better get out of bed and get dressed and..."

Hiei rolled out of bed and almost immediately threw up. He stumbled threw his mess. "I'm up. You okay now?"

"You're in your vomit. You look pale."

"Great maybe I'll get friends that way."

"Listen to me, Hiei Jaganshi. You were raised by thieves. The coldest people around and you tell me you want to die after you're alone. You were raised to be alone when need be. And you need to be alone and to talk to yourself."

"Oh god. That's nice but I feel really sick..." He threw up on his feet.

Koenma cringed and put a hand on the demon's forehead. "You're sick. Go wash up and I'll get you something. Really though. It's hard to imagine you were that same troublesome boy."

"But I am, aren't I?" He wiped the vomit off his feet with an old shirt on the ground. "I'm my own son and I just want to work things my own way. If I want to be soft then I will be. Who cares."

"Sick man and you sound healthy."

"You're sure I'm not drunk?"

"Yes. You have a fever." He wiped up the vomit off the ground. "Clean this later. Listen. Jin sent you a letter. He sent it to me to give to you. I'll read it out loud.

"'Hiei

'I got back from Ireland. Things didn't go so well. My cousins were trying to run me into a marriage and I didn't want to get into trouble like that. I'm in London now looking for some job to do. I kinda wanna go back to Mexico but I'm not coming back until I get things straight here. Anyway hope you're doing okay.

"'Jin.'"

Hiei rolled over. "The fool! The poor fool!"

---

Tests came and went. Kurama was beginning to feel unsatisfied with this new life. He yearned to have the life back in California but he knew that it was too late to turn back now. Maya asked him again and again, "Are you happy?" She even offered to have him sent back home. He refused. He told himself that he was. He was later sent a letter by Koenma.

"Kurama

"How has London been treating you? Things are messy here with Hiei and what with Yusuke going off to find Kuwabara. I hope things are well with you. I don't like hearing bad news from friends. Anyway I have been fine I suppose in the best way I could be.

"By the way, Jin said he's in town in London. I know Yomi and Shura are too. With Mukuro in the house. I hope you get at least Mukuro to contact Hiei. He's in a wreck and he's ailing. His sickness has been getting worse.

"Talk soon.

"Koenma."

He never replied.

---

Mitarai came home with Shura that day to see Mukuro sitting in a corner holding her nose.

"Mrs. Cromwell? My god! What happened?" Mitarai gasped. "Is that glass on your arm! How could you get glass on your arm?!"

"I fell and knocked down glass. Get me a towel, will you? I'm bleeding. Bad," Mukuro replied. "And don't call me Mrs. Cromwell. It makes me feel old."

"It's disrespectful to say anything else. And I think someone might've done this to you."

"Don't be silly. I fell. You know how clumsy I am."

"Not that bad."

But Shura knew and he walked up the stairs. Yes, the glass of a bottle was broken in the hall. She was cut up. He knew all of it. But he played the innocent little kid.

**End chapter 54**

Notes  
1. Ouija board- For those of you that don't know, it's a board that is said to contact spirits. You put your fingers on it and it moves to hello at the beginning and the spirit could count numbers or spell words as set on the layout. It goes to goodbye at the end. You must believe in it for it to work. Also it's almost impossible to get rid of or so they say.  
2. Japan is just getting out of isolation to avoid imperialism through the Meiji restoration where they set agents of a sort to study western culture.

I bet you looked at my favorites list. And you're probably wondering... Why is there a Yukina/ Mukuro story there! One I hardly read my favorite stories before putting them there so it's crowded. Two I realized after watching Kashi Mashi that... I wanna read girl on girl action! Come on I'm bi. Get over it. And I do lean towards the girls. So ha! You were just pwned!

So why add Sakyo? I wanted Kaitou to hate someone he already knew in England. So here he is! What's going on with Mukuro? I think she's nuts. But I think you already guessed.

Review please.


	55. Drive

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 55**

It was near the end of September of 1852 that chaos began. The sweat was replaced by blood. The blood in his mouth. God, it tasted like eating live flesh. But in the end, it was like he could've been doing it to himself. That was what lead to it all. The end of a life.

Let's stop to recall that day... Week? Month?

"Don't you have anything better to do that badger me all day?" Mukuro growled.

Shura raised an eyebrow. "What you expect me to study? I read the whole text book and I can recite it all by heart. I have a photographic memory."

"Okay, then go photograph your memory somewhere else. I'm busy."

"Bleeding's an appointment for you?"

"I'm in pain. That glass I fell on just now wasn't exactly painless you know."

"You didn't fall!"

"As far as you remember I did."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Fine but you could always divorce if you want. He wants to I think and nothing's stopping him even though he's not part of the Church of England. You're a jew you can divorce." He walked out.

---

"So you're half Scottish are you?" Sakyou asked amused.

"I thought you sprang your ankle and were in so much pain that you could barely get yourself here," Yomi replied.

"I thought you were blind. And besides, what if I just wanted to go out of my way to see you, Doctor? We are friends aren't we?"

_That's not creepy._ "I suppose but that's no reason to break your ankle."

"Ah, but I enjoy visits. And you're always so busy so I must be injured to see you. By the way, since we're so close will you enlighten me on Scottish culture? Why do the men wear such high skirts? Honestly, if women can't show their legs in a skirt then neither should a man."

"It's a kilt."

"What's the difference?"

"The gender of the person wearing it."

"Have you played the bagpipes."

"Honestly just because I'm half-" Realization. "Yes. But that has nothing to do with the Scottish blood in my veins."

"I'm gonna get lost and find my way back!" Shura yelled as he ran out.

"Well aren't you going to go after the boy?" Sakyou asked.

"He knows the way."

"But I've felt the strangest aura. The aura of an exorcist and a demon mixed into one. I would be worried even if my son is remarkable."

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing, doctor! Ah! Don't take it out on my poor ankles! They didn't do anything to you! I'm just saying that maybe you should go see him off at least!"

"He's not journeying!"

"But that aura..."

"Is your imagination. Demonic aura and an exorcist! That doesn't make sense!" Suddenly a memory flashed into his mind. _Or maybe it does._ "Demons would die with holy water. Well, I would have if more got into my eyes."

"Biology says that even so there could be some mutation for whatever reason. Maybe this is a mutation. I live mutation. Imagine that."

"Hush, you."

"But it would be awful to see him go."

---

"**Oh man. I'm lost again!**" Mitarai whimpered to himself. Suddenly he forgot all his English and started panicking in French.

"What're you doing?" A voice behind him asked.

He regained the ability to speak English. "You're the doctor's son! Thank god! Can you tell me where Hoxford street is?"

"First it's this boy and now it's doctor's son. You must suck with names. And it's Shura for god's sake! Shura! Get it right!"

"Okay, Shura but can you tell me where it is?"

"It's Oxford."

"Yeah. Hoxford. I understand that."

"Goddamn my cockney English! It's Oxford without the H attached! You're on it!" He pointed to the sign which said the name of the street in large letters.

"Oh. Well what're you doing so far from home."

"I'm bored so I got lost so I could..." He froze. _That aura... It's... Oh god..._ "I have to go home now."

"Wait."

"No. I-" He was grabbed by the arm. "Let go of me you French asshole!"

"Tell me what's happening!"

He tried to run but Mitarai's grip was too hard. Shura feel to his knees and vomited blood. Mitarai crouched by him. He said something to Shura but He couldn't hear. Suddenly the aura came closer and it was there. Mitarai looked up at where the aura was coming from.

"Sweet child..." and the exorcist walked away.

"His aura... It was demonic..." He looked down at shura who was having a breakdown, still vomiting blood. "**Oh god!**"

---

"That's normal for him. He can't even come near a church." Yomi replied. "Oddly enough I can go to a church without worry to a certain extent."

"But why?" Mitarai asked. "That didn't make sense. I saw a demon. A blonde demon but he was dressed like an exorcist. He was one! That doesn't make sense. I've seen demons before and I know how they act but that went against everything I know!"

"But what can we do then? If you're not lying."

"Honestly I'm not! You're his father instead of nodding it off maybe you should do something this time! I for one think that you haven't done your part to help prevent this."

"Yes and my father owned a factory but he couldn't do a thing about my going blind."

"But you have to try."

"I don't want to make it worse."

"Who said you will?"

"Who said I won't?"'

"Why are you doing this? You can't be that scared of failure! You're a doctor for god's sake!"

"Failure no. But failing him..."

"So you say."

---

Shura sat up in bed. "What happened?"

"You're awake?" Mukuro asked, looking as bruised up as ever. God, couldn't this woman take care of herself and avoid getting cut and bruised like she did?

"Wait. I remember now."

"Okay. So tell me. Don't lie to your mother."

"You're not my mum."

"I am now."

He growled and looked away. "Fine. I'll tell you. This weird exorcist-demon thing came after me in the streets and I lost control and puked up blood all over Mitarai and then I just went blank from there. Happy?"

"Well it won't change the fact that there's the pedobear in the closet." She replied to get back at him in her odd way.

"A what?"

"He's a bear that enjoys little kids, particularly little ones like you. He figures the small ones make up for it somewhere else if they're a boy. He likes his girls like he likes his whisky. Twelve years old and mixed up with sugar. How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Already? You look younger but you're just short." If Shura didn't feel so sick to his stomach he would have come at her with a knife for that. "Anyway he'd love to get you. In fact he came here last night with your name on a piece of paper. He was asking me where you slept and then I told him where you were so he does this pelvic thrust and yelled out something nasty and asked me if I minded if I heard any weird noises. I told him you were nine and he said, 'Nine years old? Totally old enough!'"

"And you didn't stop him!"

"No. Come on you're gonna have to kiss your virginity goodbye at some point."

"But I love my virginity!"

"That's what Oedipus said to Creon before they did... You know. The Romans felt honored to be brought into the order like that."

"The Romans did things with everyone!"

"Touche. But he won't kill you. I need you."

"Say what?"

"If I want to make a new creation I need you to test it on. Your father eats everything. He scared the slaves that way."

"You knew him before! You whore!"

"I should have seen that coming."

---

_There it is again... That aura... I need to get away._ Shura though when he was on the streets again. He enjoyed his freedom but this was too much. Now he cursed his father for letting him go out on his own. The exorcist came and put a hand on his shoulder as he whispered, "Sweet child, we meet again..."

Shura ran away. "Don't touch me!'

He leapt into the street but then he was hit, hearing the bones crackle. And he laid on the ground like a thrown doll, crushed under the hooves of the frightened horse. Someone pulled him away at last but he was still the lifeless doll with glassy eyes.

"Hey!" He felt his body being shaken. "Hey!"

"My god! What happened?"

"What in god's name?"

**End chapter 55**

Notes:  
1. Pedobear- just look him up on photobucket and see for yourself.  
2. Oedipus and Creon- characters from the Oedipus trilogy. No, they never did it.

My sister said this in reply to this chapter: "HAHA! Shura got runned over! PWN'D!"

And in other news to please my fandom I have a yaoi. But I don't know the pairing. I just know it's a yaoi. The author said so. I've never read one so god speed! Anyway... Come to think of it (You know I'm gonna keep coming back to this topic) I've never read a yuri. I want to read one. Don't ask why. I just do.


	56. Better that we break

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 56**

"Dr. Cromwell!" Mitarai burst into the room. He nearly went into convulsions or had a panic attack he was so worried. He looked back at Kurama who was carrying Shura in with Mukuro who still had an apathetic look on her face. Yomi turned around, not understanding the urgency of the situation.

"What is it?' Yomi paused. "Is that blood I smell?'

"Your son... I... He..." MItarai started to hyperventilate. "I... I need air!"

"Shura got run over," Mukuro explained bluntly. "I didn't see why he ran out in the street like he did but he did."

"I felt the aura of some demonic exorcist. I know there's only one exorcist out there. His name's Zeru. I suspect that your son happened to run into him and in an attempt to flee from him trying to get rid of him he ran into the street, getting hit by the carriage," Kurama added.

"Follow me. We'll nurse whatever wounds he has," Yomi started up the stairs.

"Where did you put the bandages?" Mukuro asked.

"No, you wait down here and tend to whoever comes in and makes sure that Mitarai relaxes. Nothing more."

She glared at him and walked to the blonde.

"Shuichi, that's your name, is it?" Yomi asked Kurama as he set Shura down on the bed.

"Yes..." And he silently added, "...sir."

"What you said back there, was that all you saw?"

"An assumption really but yes."

"It's your word against Mukuro's."

"Why don't you trust her? Your own wife?"

"She's a liar and I know it. I need an honest man's account against hers to make sure the facts are straight." He held out a hand for the bandages which Kurama quickly dropped into his hand. "There's a lot of blood?"

"Don't change the topic Yomi. I don't understand why you can't trust her anymore. You trusted her plenty before. Did something happen after your marriage that convinced you otherwise?"

"Don't start that. You should mind your own business and forget mine." Shura groaned in pain because Yomi put the bandages on him too tightly.

"I was just saying..."

"I think he broke every bone in his body..." Yomi shook his head. "The poor fool. Fear something you have to live with the rest of your life! You live like a coward! A dog with your tail between your legs all the time!"

"Stop changing the subject, Cromwell! I won't tell anyone. Please, just tell me..."

"Move your nose away from me, fool!" He growled under his breath. "If you must know, I was only playing the fool before. I was told to marry her. I didn't want to but Koenma arranged it anyway. Really, a Quaker marrying a Jew! The man is insane!"

Kurama sighed with slight irritation. "No, you are the fool. Even still. You were in America, the land of the free you had the right to turn her down."

"I didn't. Not with an arranged marriage. Maybe if I were your age it would be different. I was a real fool then. But I'm a man now and I should act as such."

"Well you don't."

"Get out."

"Fine. I'll play your game and so will Mukuro. You're the fool in the end." Kurama walked out and nearly bumped into Mitarai who was walking down the hall nervously. "He needs your help."

Mitarai stared at him for a bit, comprehending the bitterness in the redhead's voice. He ignored it and walked in. Meanwhile downstairs, Mukuro busied herself with needlework, continuously growling to herself in German every time she stabbed her finger with the needle. She looked up and, stopping what she was doing, gave him a look of understanding.

"Hard to work with, isn't he?" she asked. She put the needlework aside and sucked on her bleeding index finger for half a second. "Hard to believe he was that idiot back in Louisiana... And from a few months ago. Guess all married men are like that though."

"He's just a fool."

She cocked her head slightly. "Yes, but I can live with that." She looked up at the room. "I can't believe I can still stand him. But I do. What does that exorcist look like again? Is he blonde with blue eyes? With the pointed ears."

"Yeah. That's Zeru. I've seen him in a picture once. Hiei knows him well."

"Yeah but he knows everybody. I was surprised he didn't know Raizen. But that's not the point. We'll solve this. I will try on my own anyway..."

Yomi came downstairs.

"What's the damage?" Mukuro asked, quickly retrieving the needlework, as if to fool him that she was working.

"Broke every damned bone in his body."

"Well, that's too bad. I hope he gets fine soon. He's amusing."

"Don't you talk like that."

"I'm being honest with you."

He ignored that.

"I know the exorcist that did it."

"Enough of that. Get in the kitchen and cook dinner. We all might as well as eat since we're all here." He walked out with his hands in his pockets.

---

"What are you plotting?" Yomi growled at Mukuro that night as she continued to attempt to sew something.

She looked up and smirked. "Nothing except how to not stab myself. This needle hurts like hell."

"Don't cuss. And what's this garbage that you know the exorcist?"

"We both know who it is but it's not his fault he's trying to do his job." Yomi crossed his arms. "You're not in Boston anymore. Remember that. Remember that and that you're a woman. A married woman. This is man's business, you hear? You keep your nose out of it."

"Why do you always use nose phrases on me? Is it because I'm Jewish? I know I may have a big nose but that's..."

"Don't change the topic."

"You do the same to me."

"Listen to me, you bitch. If you get your nose in this, I won't save you if you get hurt."

"I won't get hurt. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'm so weak that I need you with me all the time. I didn't want to go through with this marriage. I just had to. This must be what it's like to be a Puritan woman."

Yomi growled. "You think I'm happy with this too?"

She looked away. "Get the hell out of here. If you stay I'll do things to you that'll make you wish you were never born."

"You and that child, no, children of yours will burn in hell."

She came at him with the needle and shoved it into his right shoulder before she slammed the door. Yomi fell to his feet and groaned in pain. In the background of it all, he heard his son doing the same.

---

Later that night Mukuro snuck out in the dark. Just when she had her hand on the doorknob, she felt a knife being pressed into her back. Mukuro quickly turned around and covered the area the knife was on with her arms.

"Going out late again like a whore?" Yomi's voice asked her.

"I suppose I won't have to hide now..." Mukuro replied sarcastically.

"Get to bed now."

"I'm not your child. Don't you start your shit again. I'm doing this for your son."

"Too bad, you're staying here anyway."

She pointed her pistol in between his eyes. "If you weren't such a tight ass pacifist I won't have done away with you a long time ago. But I go by your rules."

"Listen to me, you stupid cunt. It's neither your fault nor mine that this happened. Let go."

"Sadly you're right but I beg to differ." She pulled the trigger.

Yomi's hands rushed to his face on reflex but he was only greeted with the sound of an empty barrel. Before he knew it he heard the door swing open and he heard Mukuro say, "Empty barrel makes a good bluff."

**End chapter 56**

That was weird. Hey, could you check out these fanfics I wrote? THere's a Hiei/ Mukuro one called All my love. And it's weird... And there's Scenes from a hat. It's like the summary says. And... Let's lighten up with an extra.

Extra

Kuwabara got corn. He took it home and ate it. He choked and died. The end.


	57. Wake Up Call

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 56**

Maya stared out in space. Suddenly she heard the footsteps of Kurama coming into the room. "Ah, Shuichi! Just the person I wanted to see!"

"Maya, nice to see you, too. You see Kaitou..." Kurama was interrupted and pounced on by Maya.

"Forget my butt-head cousin!" She pulled him to his feet and got in his face once he got good footing. "Shuichi, don't tell anyone I asked you this but... What sorts of things do men like to see in love letters?"

"Say what?" Kurama backed away to gain some personal space. He suddenly was aware of what Maya had asked him. "Why, I've never gotten a love letter before so I won't know..."

"Oh what's the use! I have no idea of how to tell my love to him! I can't put it in correct words!" Maya fell into a chair and sulked.

"Well, what sort of man is he? Or who is he if you don't mind me asking."

"I know his name is Peter! He's beautiful and graceful like a... a..."

"A dove? A cat? A swan?" _An elephant?_ "Well, just tell him in a way that's easy for you. It's the thought that counts right?"

"Shuichi! You're brilliant!" She kissed him and ran out. Kaitou, who came in at the moment Maya kissed Kurama, came in fuming.

"What are you doing to my cousin!" Kaitou growled. "I thought you were gay!"

"I didn't do anything! She just kissed me out of joy! Or something! I thought you wanted her to find a lover!"

"Not you!"

"She was just asking for advice and she kissed me! That's all!"

"I see! So I'll have to punish her and you for putting thoughts in her head..."

"You realize I can hear you both right?" Sakyo asked from the hall. He poked his head into the door. "And Kaitou, really. Your fear of your family curse is so infuriating. Just marry the damn girl. You don't need to love her. There's single women waiting to be your mistress after marriage."

"Shut up, Spaniard!"

"Was that supposed to insult me?" The two shared a glare at each other until Kaitou broke the stare and walked out. Sakyo shook his head and stared at Kurama. "All this over some German man she met on the streets one day. Says his name was Peter Eikenberry or something like that. The twin to Mukuro, the doctor's wife. I don't believe a word of it. I think it's the wife pulling something over us all. Come to think of it..." He put a hand on his chin in thought. "There has been an exorcist running loose lately. I think the doctor's son got thrown into his trouble."

"Yes. Broke every bone in his body."

"The poor thing! But I suppose that's the cost of being what he is. I knew a mayor in Mexico-I don't recall telling you this-that would have killed to have one like him. Shura Cromwell! There's a genuine one. Acts like he's no demon when he knows damn well what he is. Brilliant... Skipping so many years of school. And how old is he? Thirteen?'

"Thirteen. Yes. I believe he will be. In September I think it was."

"And... He would kill for that manslayer Hiei. I would love to have a talk with him. Wouldn't you?" Kurama felt Sakyo closing in on him.

"I... Knew him for a short while. I was in Mexico, the town of Guerroro. And I met him there. He wasn't an interesting man like the people say. He doesn't recall slaying anyone except the first mayor of the town. But..."

"Doesn't remember? Or doesn't want to remember? He's a manipulative type. I could see it in that artist's drawing of him. But I suppose those could be inaccurate. Disappointing." He looked out the window. "But the one he would want the most is... You."

Kurama froze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie. Demon. Funny, looking at you I never would have guessed although... It would have been the same with Cromwell if he looked more human." He walked out of the room. "Good day to you, Shuichi Minamino."

Kurama fell to his knees, feeling drained. "But how...?"

---

Mitarai ran into someone in the street. He screamed painfully as if he were burned the person's touch and nearly had a panic attack. He was under a lot of stress lately.

"Relax you. It's me." a voice called to Mitarai.

He looked up and saw the familiar face of Mukuro standing over him. _Dear Lord above, I'm going to be sick of this shit goes on anymore. Just strike me now and end my misery and let me rest in peace. ...Or at least let me die pleasantly._

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Do I look okay to you?' The blonde's head was spinning.

"If you did, would I be asking?" Sarcastically.

"I feel like I'm going to vomit my intestines out and it'll be all your fault!" He struggled to get to his feet. He grabbed Mukuro by the arm. "You come with me!"

"Tell and I'll shove this gun up your ass and fire it before Yomi gets the chance to. I'll just happen to tell him that you did something to me and it'll be over for you. He doesn't actually love me but he won't take anyone sleeping with his wife."

"I would never do that! You know it. I know it. Your husband knows it!"

"Or does he?"

"You won't do it."

"It's your word against mine. And I know how to prove it true. I could manipulate it to my will if need be. So will you tell knowing that I'll kill you in the worst way possible?"

He pulled away from her. "**Fuck it!** I'm not going through your crap if this is what I have to deal with it! Fine, do what you're doing, whore!"

He raised her eyebrows at him. "So he has rage after all."

---

A month had passed. Tensions were building ever faster...

"I wanted to see how he was doing. I never had a real talk with your son before and I would like to get to know him better," Kurama explained his presence to Yomi.

"Ah, right. Watch your step. There's glass everywhere. Mukuro... Mukuro... Made a mess here. She dropped something and got glass everywhere." Kurama noticed he was looking a little odd with that statement. He wondered about it for a second but then figured it was only awkward for the two to admit they were married.

"So what are you planning to do about all this?"

"There's nothing I can do that's not so reckless. I don't want to jump head first into anything anymore."

"Well, save me a hospital bed. I think I'm next."

Yomi reached into his pocket and produced a bloody knife. "Take it if you think so."

"Why is there...? Never mind. I won't need it. I have my Rose whip."

"Youko Kurama. He had the same ability. As I was told as a boy anyway. Those stories fascinated me. But what's that matter to you anyhow?"

Kurama's eyes glowed gold. "I know most of what they say is true. I am him."

Yomi made an odd sound like a gasp-whimper hybrid, the sound you made when you were hit by something. "Shuichi Minamino is... No! Not possible! Shuichi's a human, half at best."

"No. I am Shuichi Minamino to the humans. This is my body."

"After that hunter... You should be dead."

"Humans are liars. Especially when it comes to hunting."

"The king of thieves."

"I have no time for you." Kurama walked into the room, his eyes turning emerald again.The room was filled with the scent of blood. He ran to the bed to see Shura sitting by the window, his arms covered with blood.

"What did you do?" Kurama stepped back.

"I can't take it anymore. I had to do something. So I break every bone in my body and had to deal with it. Damn exorcist came after me because I neglected them," Shura whispered and sucked on a wound on his arm.

"What are you taking about?"

"Kids get hurt by stuff easily you know. That ass hat... What am I saying anymore. I forgot my pill today and I couldn't deal with it so I went and threw my arms in the glass they left. They sure do break a lot of glass."

'You're coming with me. Come here."

He looked up with empty eyes and took the redhead's hand. They walked out together when Kurama looked in the open door. He saw the most disturbing thing ever and he ran out, dragging Shura behind him.

The horrible laughing ceased. The horror was over.

---

"Oh you poor thing. Your wrists were cut up so badly. You could die from this you know!" Maya half scolded Shura as he washed his arms off with a warm towel.

"I didn't mean it. I really didn't," he stared at Kurama. "I'm crazy. Really crazy. I don't know what's wrong with me. I just am."

"What makes you say that?"

"I have a friend named Mao."

"Where is he? You want to talk to him?" Maya patted him on the head as if to relax him.

"He's in this room." A cross on the wall suddenly dropped and broke in half. Maya and Kurama both stared at it then at Shura.

"It's a sign... Mao told me this would happen..."

Maya grabbed Kurama out of the room. "I'm scared!"

"Maya I think..."

"I think that kid's insane..." She looked in the room as if to make sure he wasn't listening.

"I don't know. I don't know."

Shura sighed and curled up in the chair. "Mao." And Mao called back, making Shura laugh a bit. He whispered a prayer to himself. "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed thee thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil, Amen.

"Heh heh... Mao."

**End chapter 56**

Notes?  
1. Why the name Mao? I thought of the Chinese dictator for some reason during this. He was scary swimming in that video I watched about him.  
2. The prayer was Our Father... As I remember it.

That was crazy. I don't wanna look at this for a while.


	58. Shade of grey

**Ride like the Wind  
****Chapter 58**

"HEY BITCH! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!" Yusuke kicked on Hiei's door.

"I think he's out in the fields. He's kinda busy like that," Koenma sighed.

"Shut up!" Yusuke pounded on the door.

"It's your loss."

Hiei finally opened the door when Yusuke was about to kick it open causing the demon slayer to go down and do the splits.

"AUGH! I've never done this before and it hurts!" Yusuke screamed as Kuwabara helped him up.

"What do you want?" Hiei growled.

"We're going to London to save Kurama and Mukuro and all them from Zeru. He sent me a letter cause he's my teacher. He told me he was going there," Kuwabara explained their presence.

"Kurama's a big boy and Mukuro would just kick his ass."

"Didn't you ever wish you could have at it with Zeru even once? Now's your chance."

"Fine. I'll go. Just to see Kurama and Mukuro since they say they'll never come back." Hiei sighed after a moment's hesitation.

---

"So why'd it take so long to get here?" Yusuke asked. He rubbed his hand together to keep them warm. "Damn it's cold. And I came from New York and Boston."

"I... Just had to get some permission first. It's no big deal." Koenma replied. He looked around at his surroundings. "We'll split up. Just so we can get to know the place better. We'll meet at the empty building off of Oxford and Hamilton. Split up, gang!"

"Not so fast!" Hiei growled. "If we meet Zeru we can kill him, right?"

"Sure. But be quiet about it. British police are on the alert. Just don't think that because you're in a country ruled by a queen they won't put you in the man jail. Cause they will! They know where you live, Hiei Jaganshi!"

"Whatever."

So they split up. Hiei grumbled under his breath as he walked down the street. _Goddamn it all. Why did I have to listen to them and go through with this?_ _I should've stayed home._

He bumped into someone. "Move it, dumb ass."

"What the hell...? Hiei?!" Hiei then realized it was Yomi who had this look on his face like he was hit in the head with a frying pan. Then again, he wouldn't be surprised if he had been. "What are you..? Shouldn't you be... In... Chile, is it?"

"You idiot! I'm Mexican!"

"Oh. Well, you people south of the border are all the same to me anyway. Dark skinned and farmers and the like. But what are you doing here? Out to terrorize Mukuro once again?"

"No, I'm after some exorcist. He's over here..."

Yomi sighed irritably. "Not that again. It's his job! You don't stop me from amputating limbs do you? No. I do my job. Let him do his."

"Even if it's at your wife's cost?"

"Do I look happy and cheerful?"

"You never do. But that has nothing to do with it. Would you risk her life for it? I'm assuming no judging on how you acted before. So, no, Yomi I won't let him do his job because he could cause Kurama's death too."

"You mean that little homosexual boy that prances around with flowers? I frankly could care less. And I thought you loved Mukuro. Can't you decide?"

"Shut up, Yomi. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself do you?"

"Coming from the man who gave Mukuro ulcers!"

"And what about your son!"

"What about him?"

"Screw you. I bet you'd kill them both with your own hands if you had the chance."

"If you need me, I'm down the street from the old church. You can kill me any time. But my son will have something to say about that once he finds out."

"You aren't a father to him." Hiei would have smacked the guy but he didn't. He didn't know why he didn't do it. He just didn't. He swore the guy deserved it but he couldn't.

—

Time passed. They met at the old church.

"Before we go in, I met Yomi. He said he was looking for his son who hasn't been home in three days. Have any one you seen him? He looks kinda like Yomi. You can't miss him. He sticks out like a sore thumb in crowds," Koenma said. He looked at the three other boys and sighed when they gave him deer in the highlights looks. "Never mind then... In we go..."

"Hold it!" Yusuke pointed to a pew as soon as they walked in. "There's a kid in here! And he... Oh. Found Yomi's brat." The other three looked over and sure enough, Shura was sprawled out on the pew with a hat covering his face and using a cat as a pillow.

"Ignore him for now. We'll take him to his house after we take care of business." Yusuke poked him anyway.

"That's it Mr. Giraffe, lick off all the marmalade..." Shura mumbled in his sleep, causing Yusuke to fall, bout looking disgusted.

"Yusuke, leave the kid alone," Hiei sighed as he plopped beside Shura.

"No! Didn't you hear him! He's dreaming about giraffes and marmalade! I'd be scared if my son were dreaming like that wouldn't you?"

"It's the only time he can express himself. Enough said." Hiei paused. "I had weird dreams myself when I was his age. Only they involved nice looking women all the time and we always..."

"No one wants to hear about your wet dreams," Koenma broke in.

The cat jumped away when Kuwabara tried to pet him and Shura shot up. He stared at everybody and cursed under his breath.

"You know... I never noticed this but... Whoa! You're short!" Yusuke half gasped at Shura.

"Whoa! You're stupid!" Shura replied with rolled eyes.

"What?!" He whacked him on the head with Koenma's bible. "Your head hurts!"

He kicked him in the crotch. "Your crotch hurts!"

"Don't do that!" Kuwabara kicked him in the head.

"Don't hurt innocent kids!" Koenma grabbed the bible from Yusuke's hands. "The power of Jesus compels you! Die, you sinner or your ass 'll burn in hell!"

"God, you really _are_ a priest." Shura sighed.

"By the way, your dipshit father wants you to go home. Why aren't you over there sleeping in your own bed?" Hiei asked.

"Oh, here we go. I called him a ass fuckin' dickwad. So he got pissed off and I left. I bet he took it out on Mukuro since he's always going off on her. Then they got on and break all this glass and cut each other up. Does that sound like a home you wanna go to just to sleep. Every single damned day with them. That queer guy... Kurama was his name, I go to his house every day to eat. Maya cooks better than Mukuro. She doesn't get blood in the food. And sometimes Kurama stays here with me and sometimes my friend Jin too."

"Jin and Kurama?"

"Yeah. You could find Kurama at the school. He almost lives there now. And then Jin's out in the streets doing odd jobs like dancing for money and stuff like that. I wonder how he makes so many pounds a day like that."

The door opened to reveal Jin and Kurama. Jin gave them a look that said, "What the f...?" and Kurama raised his eyebrows.

"It's been a while..." Kurama finally said to break the silence.

"Yeah, it has. By the way, why did you never write me back?" Koenma asked. He opened the bible and started reading. Hiei figured it was a way to relieve his surprise.

"I didn't have time. But what brought you here?"

"An exorcist in England. We came to exterminate him. Long story short he'll kill you!"

"I know who you're talking about! That's the meanie who took Hiei away to jail that one time! He was looking at me while I was working like a pedo looks at a kid! It was an awful experience!" Jin replied.

"Yeah he was touching my back like he was going to run his hand down it and grab my..." Shura was interrupted.

"Anyway... You've seen him Jin?" Hiei asked.

"...Well, yeah but not recently..." He turned to Shura. "Are you going home today? I don't wanna come to your house alone cause your dad look at me like this..." Jin shoved his eyebrows together with his fingers. "And he says," Jin imitated Yomi's voice with a perfect British accent, "'WHERE IS MY SON, YOU BLOODY BASTARD!' But I like Mukuro. She was fun when she drank. But she stopped."

"Why?" Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Did it make her...?"

"She said she wanted to bang herself against a needle covered fence the next mnorning."

Hiei's face turned green.

"She had that same look on her face when she told me!"

"Fine. I'll go." Shura broke in. "I'm sick of looking at this short bastard." He took jin by the hand and dragged him out the church. "And don't you try sleeping with Mukuro if you see her. Yomi will be pissed."

Kurama sat down in a pew. "So anyway... What's the plan?"

"I'm looking for Mukuro. I'll see you all later and no, I'm not looking for a good screw either. Shura said Yomi was beating on her. And I believe that little bastard. I'm looking for her." Hiei walked out. He noticed in the corner of his eye Kurama half rolling his eyes. "Kurama, I swear. I'm telling told you I wasn't..."

"She doesn't want to see you. She was sick right after she was married and... She told me it was your fault whatever it was. I know what it is but I won't tell you."

"You snotty...!"

"Fine. Maybe I am being snotty. But I mean it. And she did too."

Hiei stormed out.

---

Hiei found Mukuro out in the streets. He hardly recognized her. Her hair was more of a blonde now and her skin was still getting lighter. (_If it were possible_, Hiei thought.) Hiei nudged her. She turned to him and groaned something in German.

"Not you. I thought you were gone in Mexico, or Chile so Yomi says. Go away before I shoot myself," Mukuro growled.

"I wanted to see you. I'm not here for you but I heard about you and Yomi..." Hiei was interrupted.

"What goes on in that house stays there. Listen I'm not here to deal with your bullshit. Go away now." She fired her pistol into the sky. She turned to the people who stopped and stared. "Go on. Nothing to see here."

Hiei heard someone grumble, "Goddamn German barbarians."

"Let's see. I'm due for a new grey hair on the day after tomorrow."

"What day is that?"

"December twenty first. My birthday. Ugh, why am I talking to you? I'm after the exorcist right now." She stopped and coughed up a blood clot.

"You can't work in your condition. You're sick."

Mukuro mumbled something under her breath and motioned for Hiei to come closer. Once he was close enough she hissed. "I had a miscarriage and it's all your damn fault. I'm already some kid's mother. Don't make it happen again."

She walked away.

Hiei stared at the ground. "Go to the church on Hamiliton and Oxford tonight. We'll talk."

"Not on your life, kid," she walked away. "But maybe tomorrow, I may."

**End chapter 58**

Notes:  
1. Mukuro's birthday- not really it. I thought she makes a good Capricorn but I got the date wrong and made her a Sagittarius.

Sorry I took so long. I was getting to happy with my Silent Hill story. And my next one's intense so it may take just as long to update.

You ever wonder what Hiei sounds like speaking Spanish and Kurama speaking Italian. I found it on youtube. (Youtube addict)

Also look under Yu Yu Hakusho OVA while you're there. It's like a quick continuation. And note where Mukuro's hand is when she's thinking about Hiei in the fifth one. Lolz.

Until next time...


	59. Bullet With Your Name

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 59**

_There were three men traveling in the woods together. They came across three different paths. The three decided to go their separate ways on those paths. They were all going to different_ _destinations anyway. It didn't matter to them if they were separated._

_The first man took the path that was hidden underneath the darkness of trees and slithered between bushes. He heard nothing but the sound of his footsteps in the little gravel there was. When he came to the edge of the forest a violet snake slithered down the tree as if he were expecting the traveler._

"_Hello, good sir," said he, "I shall grant you any wish you please for your journey has ended. What will it be?"_

"_I want to be the wealthiest man in the country," the man answered confidently._

_The snake flicked its tongue. "When you come home, your house will be filled with gold!" He slithered away into the bushes without a sound._

_A week after he came home, his house was raided. He went back to the woods to take back his wish but he never saw the serpent again._

_The second man took the smooth road of golden bricks which was lined with young blossoms and newborn grass. When he came to the edge of the woods a green butterfly fluttered above a morning glory._

"_Hello, good sir," said he, "I shall grant you any wish you please for your journey has ended. What do you desire?"_

"_I want eternal youth and beauty," the man answered running a hand through his golden locks._

_He twitched a wing. "When you come home, you will not age another day." He fluttered away to admire the spring weather._

_Years passed for the second man. Everyone he knew and loved disappeared into time. He became an outsider to his own generation. He went back to the forest to take back his wish but he never saw the butterfly again._

_The third man took the beat down road leading to a rickety bridge which swung over the raging river below. When he got to the end of the bridge he saw a raven perched upon a white stone._

"_Hello, good sir," said he, "I shall grant you any wish you please for your journey has ended. Your wish?"_

"_I want to see all the ones I love that I've lost again."_

_The raven took off in flight. "Of course! Of course! Just walk towards the sun, boy! Just walk towards the sun!"_

_And so he did. The third man's ending was the happiest._

---

December 20, 1852

Koenma and his group all met at the abandoned church accompanied by Shura who happened to follow them on his way there. ("I have nothing better to do at home so I might as well..." he grumbled more to himself than to anyone else.) They all sat in silence.

"Goddammit, someone say something," Yusuke growled. "I can't take silence. Shura tell a joke or something."

"What do you call it when a bunch of white men are pushing a carriage up a hill?" he asked sarcastically. Not a morning person, of course.

"Okay I see where this is going. Let's turn it to Kuwabara."

The doors of the church opened and everyone turned to see who it was. It was Mukuro who had a look on her face that clearly said, "Not this shit again." And she proceeded to recite a beautiful poem whose origins came from South Dakota. Or... What will be South Dakota. Whatever. "Shit! It's cold!"

"That's why they invented clothes, Mukuro," Shura replied sarcastically again.

"Go screw yourself, Shura."

"You can't talk to him like that!" Koenma threw the bible at him. "THE POWER OF JESUS COMPELS YOU! REPENT OR YOUR ASS WILL BURN IN HELL!"

"I'm Jewish. I don't have a hell. Who cares? We talk to each other like this all the time anyway." She crossed her arms. "Hiei told me to come here so we can talk. Well, I'm here so you still want to take that offer?"

"Not really. I think it's just a waste of your time anyway," Hiei replied.

"An epiphany."

"What?"

"It's something in a Greek tragedy where the tragic character has a sudden realization. That's what you just had. And I'm glad you realize it. Whether it's only a lie or not." She stared at a stained glass window. "It's crazy when it all comes down to it though. We're all killing each over no real cause really. But in the end all we really need is a little love."

The doors opened and Kurama walked in. He looked like he wanted to say something but once he saw everyone sitting in silence, he probably decided not to.

"Maybe we should listen to Moa. He said we should all go home and stay there because if we don't then we'll all just be punished for what we did to that dog last time. He asked he if I was blonde because that meant I was the most instrumental in that act," Shura finally spoke up.

"Moa? Who're you talking about? One of your school friends?" Mukuro asked.

"What? I thought you of all people would know about this Moa stuff," Kurama broke in.

"Never heard of it."

"Well, he's in this room," Shura added.

"Well, this is all very odd. Too say the least anyway."

"You feel anything coming?" Yusuke broke in. That was when the door burst into flames. "Forget I asked."

Through the flames came the exorcist. He held out the crucifix in front of his face as if contemplating it. Somehow he got the whole room the freeze up for that moment before he spoke. "Ah, how nice. I've come into a church with a almost thousand year old preacher congregating with a bunch of delinquents. Sad sight. Such a sad sight."

"About that..." Koenma paused.

"You know what, we're permanently retiring your ass," Yusuke growled as he stood up as if to size him up. "You know normally I'd let you do your job but I've heard talk that you're notorious for doing that and a little something extra." He saw in the corner of his eye Shura was subtly cowering behind the pew. "So maybe you lighten up or we do you in."

"I refuse..." At that moment Mukuro disappeared for a split second and she reappeared behind him with her gun pointed at his head. "You know, Jew, you can't kill me. You can never kill the angel of death."

"No, you're wrong already. I don't intend you kill you with a bullet. No, you'll die in an even more painful fashion so long that you'll beg for mercy. I could disable you here and now." She ran the pistol down his spine.

"I could do the same. But like I said before. I could never die. I am the angel of death. Did you ever wonder why I'm a demon yet have the ability to use exorcism spells? It's because I am neither demon nor human. I am therefore an angel and sent to rid the world of ugliness and send sinners like you to hell where you belong."

She fired into the back of his head and on reflex, his arms twitched upward just before his left eye was shot out. She reloaded the pistol. "Get up. You hear me? Get the hell up! Don't give me this bull shit that you're dead. I've had enough. Get up!"

Zeru shot up to his feet and turned around. He grabbed Mukuro by the neck and choked her with one hand and started to slice her chest open with a shard of glass from the newly broken window. Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun into his back, causing him to drop Mukuro. Zeru lunged toward him but Kuwabara cut him off by coming at him with the Spirit Sword. Kurama flicked a peddle that landed into the empty space where Zeru's eye would have been.

"Fox, do you think I'd fall for that empty trick?" he reached into the hole and flicked the seed out as Yusuke fired another Spirit Gun bullet into him without much affect.

Koenma, who was standing on the side, sidestepped his way to Mukuro. He whispered to her, "Mukuro, I'm coming for you. I'll take you to Yomi and you'll get better. Don't get involved anymore. I don't want to see Yomi turn into a widower before his time..."

"Don't even think about taking me to that bastard. I don't marry for love so what makes you think me seeing him will make it any better?" she got to her feet. "If you want to leave, take Shura out of here... Where is he anyway?"

They heard a voice coming towards them in some sort of strange lyrical poetry. "And the mother said, 'Let all sinners perish in the end...'"

A window shattered. Koenma and Mukuro's eyes shot towards it and saw Zeru leapt out the window with the other four following.

"I'm going. Watch him." She ran off.

"Damn it, Mukuro!" Koenma grabbed Shura by the hand. "You come with me."

---

Yomi woke up late that morning. He walked to Shura's room to check if he happened to come home during the night or even the morning. He wasn't there. He assumed that he was out still and sighed irritably. _Maybe if I didn't sleep like the dead I might have caught him. If he did come. What am I saying? He doesn't want to stay home anymore. I wonder why._

He continued the rest of the morning. in silence, to a certain extent anyway. Since he started staying up all night most nights he developed the habit of talking to himself. He figured it was his way of coping with being alone. _And if they don't like me coming late this time they can just go to hell._

After the two cups of coffee each with seven spoonfuls of sugar (He figured he needed the sugar to keep him awake. He was also at a lack of energy. He didn't quite understand why he was so tired after sleeping a good ten hours but wide awake after an all-nighter.) he started walking to the hospital, taking the longest way there was. On the way he heard Shura's voice screaming something- something like a hymn of some sort.

"And the streets will be lined with blood when they come! All left behind will be hung and drowned in their own..."

"Shura...?" Yomi called him.

"Yomi, well, thank god you showed up here!" Koenma called him.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"I don't know. He was fine until that exorcist came in and then he just started saying these strange things. I can't snap him out of it. He's basically repeating this speech over and over. I think he's catatonic or something! I think that's the right word for it anyway. You're the doctor. You should know what's going on!"

Yomi sighed and put his hands on Shura's shoulders. "Shura. Can you hear me...?" He gave no response. He slapped him. "Wake up!"

There was an abrupt stop in his speech. "Wake up!"

"Can you hear me...?"

"Can you hear me...?"

Yomi looked away. He noticed the fire. "Was there a fire here? What in god's name is going on here?" Shura repeated the question. "Goddammit..."

"Well, listen. It was like this... Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Mukuro, Shura and I were in this church-I think that's what this thing is meant to be anyway...-talking for a while and then the exorcist came and burnt down the door. The others went after him and I ended up having to watch Shura. And well..."

"The question is if he's even aware of outside forces. If that's the case. I don't know much about the mind and I assume very little people do as well." He waved his finger across Shura's eyes. "Watch my finger."

He moved his finger in the same motion. He blinked twice and darted away.

'What the hell...? Well I guess it's safe to say he's better... I guess." He put a hand on Koenma's shoulder. "This is all too much. Stress kills a man, you know that?"

---

Zeru, along with Yusuke and Kuwabara had disappeared into the crowds. Kurama chose to stay with Mukuro, who was throwing up blood, now on her knees.

"I think you've had enough of all this. I'm taking you to a hospital. I should've known not to jump into this. You too. I don't even know why. I don't really know this guy."

"No... I have to. Just for what he did to us. We live in fear but it's not fear of humans. We can kill them all we want and hell, there are those out there who even live off human flesh. And I'm talking about those that dwell here. As for those who live in the Demon Realm, I can't say. We are citizens of this realm in the sense the Americans are citizens of the country they founded after colonization. Someday we make take that same uprising but until then we demons are only strangers in a strange land. And we do become more and more like humans as generations pass. That's almost in the same sense as a black slave with mulatto children. But it's more like a governmental issue. I won't mention it anymore. But what I'm saying is that we demons live in fear of not humans but this one exorcist. He's as human and as demon as Koenma is. He's unclassifiable..." Mukuro struggled to her feet. "I just want to stop living in fear. I want to start living. If I'm not fucked by someone I sure as hell won't let another thousand years (God I hope I make it that long...) fuck me."

"Peter?!" Maya came running to the two. "Shuichi! My god! What's happening? Why is Peter bleeding! Take him to a hospital!"

"I'm fine. I can walk... I can..." She was cut off by a sudden gunshot. She doubled up onto the ground. She looked up to see Zeru. "How the hell did you...?"

"Don't speak. Sinners should die only with the words of the God they forsakened," Zeru pointed the gun to her head.

"Dare you. Dare you. Double dare you."

"I hope you find a good place in hell..." He was about to pull the trigger when Shura leapt onto him and started to rip his chest open with his teeth. "The devil's advocate returns."

Just before he could shoot Shura someone stopped him by knocking the gun out of his hand while pulling Shura away from the exorcist in time for him to rip out his heart with his bare hands. When it was all over, Kurama saw that it was Jin.

"Little Cromwell, you shouldn't do that to a guy like that. Jin helped you but he was too late. Oh no, Jin doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore..." Jin looked at the exorcist who was now laying inert on the sidewalk. "No... Not anymore."

"They say you can only kill a dragon by ripping out his heart..." Shura was suddenly aware of the flesh in his hand. "My god... I did do it. I taste his flesh in my mouth. Moa says... I've done it again." He shook Mukuro. "Hey... Wake up... You're okay..."

"Wow... There is so much beauty in the world today. The sky looks so delicate and white with the snow starting to come down. It's like looking at a fresh new virgin in a wedding veil. Why didn't I ever look at it until now? I feel so light. I feel so empty... I feel so... God, I'm hungry. Get me a pie... Will you..." She went limp.

"God no..." Maya felt faint. "No..."

There was a voice there singing in all their minds...

"Humpty dumpty sat on a wall  
Humpty dumpty had a great fall  
All the king's horses and all the king's men  
Couldn't put Humpty together again."

---

Sakyo stared out the window of the house, pipe in hand. "Dealing with demons makes my head ache. I feel bad for the poor fool who takes up all this."

A poltergeist replied, "Silencio."

Black out.

---

_The raven took off in flight. "Of course! Of course! Just walk towards the sun, boy! Just walk towards the sun!"_

_And so he did. The third man's ending was the happiest._

**End chapter 59**

(Whew!)  
Notes:  
1. Frickin long italicized story that seemingly had nothing to do with the chapter but was still in the beginning anyway and could have saved two pages of typing- Actually it does. (Are you for serious?) Yes, I am. Read it again. I'm super serial. (After reading) WHY DON'T YOU GUYS BELIEVE ME? I'M SUPER SERIAL!!  
2. "What do you call it when a bunch of white men are pushing a carriage up a hill?"- It's actually a joke I heard a while back. Someone would get butt hurt if I told you it so I won't tell.  
3. South Dakota Poem- It was a heartwarming email I got from Anna Jaganshi a while back. I still have it.  
4. That thing about the dog- It's a reference to David Lynch's _Rabbits_. I'll tell you about it if you really want to know.  
5. Catatonia- Basically it's this mental state after an event of "disturbance". (dictionary definition) There are three types- one where you're completely apathetic and can't move, you can move only with response to observation of outside movements and then when you repeat outside statements. Don't ask why I did that. I think I get a kick out of psychological crap like that.  
6. Silencio- Means Silence in Spanish. It's like the last scene in _Mulholland Drive_. I haven't seen it but I kinda want to. I want to see _Eraserhead _too... It sounds like the mind fuck of the century...

Aahh... Shee-oot... I've been gone so long... (There is so much I have to say...) I'm super sorry about the long wait (Who's waiting though...?) but I made the chapter longer than usual and put more thought than usual(?) so I hope that makes up for it! (It's the thought that counts!) Aaahhh... (This must be how manga artists feel before release dates...) I'm actually trying to catch up on the written part. (Why am I still so close? I had months...) But I think it's come to the point where I'm better off just typing what I think and edit it all later. (By the way, I'm getting editing grammar and spelling mistakes in earlier chapter. I'll get to that once I'm back in the groove and typing this in all one sitting again. Maybe it's help if I got off youtube and wajas. Sigh)

You know... That last part about Humpty Dumpty... Here's a thought- why is he depicted as an egg all the time? Never once in the poem is he described as an egg. He could have been a man in power that either went insane or depressed or he actually fell off something. That's gruesome.

Also... I'm coming up with more fanfics but don't expect them until the spring (or the summer) because I'm having trouble getting everything together right now. But we can beat this! Finals aren't til March (I think) so I have plenty of time (this year) to update and devote to you guys cause I love you all so much! (But why is Yomi suddenly such an ass hat? Why is Shura suddenly nuts? Why is Mitarai in here anymore...? Goddamn me.)

Well adios amigos!

Much love, JC.


	60. Comfortably Numb

**Ride like the Wind  
Chapter 60**

The next day, everyone gathered at Yomi's house. For the first half hour they were there, they all stayed silent for about half an hour. (Though the silence made it seem like hours.)

"So, someone speak. Why are you all here?" Yomi asked, although his voice slightly laced with irritation but they still knew he meant well.

"Do you really have to ask?" Yusuke replied as he took a swig of liquor.

"Well it's probably more for your sake. I'm pretty sure it's half passed noon and you're just about intoxicated already. What kind of man gets himself drunk for the sun sets?"

"It calms my nerves. Lay off, will ya?"

"_Opium_ is supposed to calm your nerves. Liquor is the chemical that causes insanity and breaks good families apart. You're not even close, Urameshi."

"Well if that's the truth then one of you has to be wasted twenty-four-seven seeing how everyone in this goddamn place is screwed one way or another."

"That's no business of yours. Why even bring that up if that's not why you came? Drop it."

"_Please._" Kuwabara added half pleading.

"How is she?" Kurama asked in a half whisper.

"Can't say. She's been unconscious this whole week. I'm not quite sue why. But I have to say that even so, she's still lucky to be in the state she's in. I don't know how she was able to go on with a shot to the stomach. I guess when you're slave you learn how to deal with pain."

"Wait, back up! What the hell are you talking about?" Yusuke asked.

"She probably wouldn't want me to tell you this but she used to be a slave from some slave auction or another. Apparently there was a group that took demons and sold them off. I don't know the true story really but she still was sold off with or without the consent of her parents. In a nutshell my family owned her," Yomi explained. "Enough about that now..."

"So what're you planning to do with her now that she's knocked out?" Hiei asked.

"I might just have to leave her at the hospital when I leave."

"Leave? What the hell's wrong with staying here?"

"What with this being done... There's too much to remember here. I'll just go back to Scotland. Maybe go to Japan. I think they're trying to be like everyone here."

"Quit beating around the bush." Hiei started towards the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'll see her one more time and then I'm gone for good. If you're going through with what you just said, then let me at least say a prayer for her whether it's heard or not. And I'll hope to God that if she does wake up, she won't end up with a dumb ass like me or an asshole like you again. But maybe it's better for her to never wake up. Can't blame her for staying out." He continued up the stairs.

"It's all my fault, really..." Kurama buried his face in his hands. He hear Yomi walk towards him.

"Shuichi, look at me."

Kurama looked up and Yomi spit in his right palm and slammed it on Kurama's forehead.

"Yomi, what the hell?!" Koenma growled.

"He's a homosexual. He'll just magic it off anyway."

"Even so..."

"Maybe then it'll knock some sense into him. I'm going up. I have to find Shura's medicine. It was misplaced some time between last night and this morning."

"I thought you said stress kills a man."

"Sure. But so does not taking your medicine."

Shura came down the stairs with an empty plate in his hands. He stared at everybody once he reached the bottom of the stairs for a while and continued going to the kitchen.

"Shura, come here," Koenma beckoned for him to come. When he stopped and stared at the priest, he beckoned again, "Come here."

"I don't want to. I'm going to eat again and then I'll go to sleep for the rest of the day. Screw the school if they don't like me skipping on studying for that test I'll have when I come back."

"Mitarai told me you didn't have to study."

"No. I can't not study anymore. After all this I started drawing a blank. I think Mao's taking my memory again. I think I made the same mistake when I was blonde."

"Don't talk like that. There's no Mao."

"Don't say that! He'll be mad."

"Where is he?"

"I think... I think he's inside me now because I can't see him anymore. That or he's always behind me where I can't see him. But when I mention him you all look at me like I'm crazy when he was here bright as day. I'm not crazy."

"Say a prayer with us for your mother."

"I don't say prayers asking anything of a god that lets things like this happen to good people. You might just tell me that I'm wrong in thinking that way or that I say that just because I'm young, maybe you're right but until I learn to deal with this, I'll continue to think that way. I bet he told you everything's alright, too. It's not. She's not sleeping at all. She's living a nightmare if she's sleeping."

"Don't talk like that."

"I feel sick..." He rubbed one of his temples and grumbled a nonsensical phrase to himself and nodded as if whatever he said was the answer to everything. "But... If I were you, I wouldn't blame myself. She did everything on her own will. She risked herself. She knew she would die young anyway..."

He walked into the kitchen. As soon as Shura was out of the room, Hiei came down the stairs staring at the ground as he did. He finally looked up and walked passed everyone and left.

"It smells awfully dead in here. Kind of wet out there too..." Kuwabara mumbled. Yusuke started singing off key, jumbled quotes from the bible in a twisted tune to "Silent Night". "Would you cut that out! You're creeping me out!"

"Hey, he's wasted. He doesn't know any better," Koenma replied before throwing a book at the him.

Kurama leaned back in his chair. "When I was three years old, my mother planted a cherry tree behind our house for my father because he loved cherries and the blossoms. Back in Japan, samurai compare themselves to cherry blossoms. Just to see how they fall to the ground in peace so boldly and gracefully like a warrior in battle. When I was five, I climb that tree and fell... I broke my leg but I felt no real pain. I was in ecstasy just laying there in those fallen blossoms. I didn't know how long I was there but... **Maybe it's time we all just fall like those cherry blossoms and lay there in all our escaping pain... And then hold this one in our closed hand and let it go in the wind. Maybe it's time we let go. And in our dreams... All of our pain sinks into nothing. Without life... Without time... Without everything...**"

"Shuichi?" He saw Maya and Sakyou enter in the corner of his eye.

"We wanted to see how Mrs. Cromwell was doing. But who knew that she would turn out to be Peter Eikenberry?" Sakyou's last statement said slightly sarcastically. "Let's not go into that though. Care to introduce me to these fine gentleman here?"

"I'm leaving. Take me back when something happens," Yusuke walked out.

"You know... Since Raizen died, he hasn't been the same," Kuwabara said more to himself. "Now that I think about it, he was like that when he went home. I wonder if something happened with his mom or something..."

"Well, I'm Sakyou and this fair maiden is Maya. Let's just leave it at that since introductions seem to be too much to ask at the moment. It's a pity that everything had to turn out this way. Even if Mrs. Cromwell is getting old. It's still terrible. It's enough to make even a demon feel tears in his eyes." He paused. "I didn't mean to intrude. Or rather, _we_ didn't mean to intrude. But Maya is quite fond of Mrs. Cromwell and I'd quite fond of the doctor."

"I'm sure. Everybody has to I guess. Even if he does look odd to everyone around here, you have to. He's a likable guy really. Most of the time. He does have times..."

Kurama started coughing and when he looked at his palm her saw blood. Maya noticed this and gasped somewhat melodramatically. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

_Calling... Calling... Nothing. I never noticed but I haven't heard anything from Youko in a while. He usually has something to say. But he hasn't... I never thought about it but I haven't transformed either. Why...?_

"Shuichi, you're not well..." Maya whispered to him.

He got up. "No, I'm not. Not in the least bit. I'm going home tomorrow."

"But you just got here."

"But for what reason?" He walked out.

On his way back to Maya and Kaitou's house, Shura started following him, probably after finally achieving his seemingly unreachable goal of getting lost.

"You know... In _The Juniper Tree_ a wife wanted a child and gave birth to a son and died giving birth. So then the father married another woman who gave birth to a daughter and was jealous of the son. So she had him reach into a chest and slammed it on him, cutting off his head. Then the stepmother made her daughter believe she killed her half-brother. Then the stepmother makes the son into black pudding which the father eats and the daughter buries the bones under the tree. A bird flies from that tree and gets a golden chain from goldsmith and red shoes from a shoemaker. The bird gives the chain to the father after a first song and the shoes to the daughter after a second song and when the bird sings again and drops a millstone on the stepmother, killing her. The bird transforms into the son and the other tree go inside. If you've heard _The Rose-Tree_ then you already heard this one," Shura half-whispered.

"What's your point?" Kurama asked.

"I dunno. I just liked that one. But you know... In _Mary's Child_ the woodcutter and his wife have a daughter they couldn't feed so the Virgin Mary took her to Heaven where the daughter lived happily. When the Virgin had to leave and left the daughter the key to thirteen doors (The thirteenth she wasn't supposed to open.) and behind the twelve doors she found the twelve Apostles. Behind the thirteenth door she found a trinity and had her finger stained with gold. She tried to hide it and lied three times about it so the Virgin Mary punished her by taking away her speech. So the girl fell asleep and woke up in the forest where she was found by a king who married her. She gave birth to two sons both who were taken by the Virgin for not confessing. The third year she had a daughter but because it was rumored she killed her sons she was sent to a stake. Before she died she wished she could confess and that was when her sons were taken back to her and she could speak again. The girl lived the rest of her life in happiness." When Kurama fell silent, he went on, "It feels kind of like... No, I'm wrong. No one is failing to speak. They're just failing to see. If that's what it is all along..."

They were across the street from the house when Shura stopped. "Are you coming inside?"

"No. **Take care of yourself... Yourselves. No. I don't know.**" He walked away.

---

Kurama came the next morning. Yomi half shoved a tea cup into his hands telling him that it was good for a tired soul.

Just as Kurama was about to take a sip, Shura walked by and whispered, although fully aware that his father could hear him, "Don't do it. He either spit in it or put twenty sugar cubes in it." If Yomi could see, he would have been glaring knives into him. Of course, he didn't care either way but... He started going up the stairs with a plate with a large slice of apple pie.

"Where are you going with that?" Yomi asked.

"Well, she didn't eat yesterday and I promised her an apple pie for that time I kept shoving needles into her back for falling asleep while cooking. And she asked for one before she passed out too. Plus, not matter how much people from Boston and Massachusetts and whereverthe president lives bitch apple pie is not an American food. It obviously came from here in England." He continued up the stairs.

"You know... The will to live is a powerful thing," Kurama mumbled. "**But then again...**" They heard the plate drop and Shura darted down the stairs.

"What the hell?" Yomi ran up the stairs with Kurama behind him.

"She's gone! It doesn't look like she just jumped out. It's like she just turned into dust or something..."

"How...? I smell... Its smells like burning flesh..."

"It's... Hot as hell in here."

"You know... You never gave me that knife back. Do you still have it? I... I think I want it back now. There's no reason for you to have it anymore. Actually you never needed it."

"I have it. Why do you want it...?"

"I had it so I can find the killer of my aunt and uncle and then return the favor. When it turned out to be Mukuro but I couldn't do it. I wanted to but I couldn't. Can't say if it was out of pity or not. When you've been in a war at a young age and you're basically a stranger in a strange land you start to stop wanting war. I never followed through with pacifism really. I'm just too scared to kill anyone anymore. Why are we all compared to pure white when everyone's soul is black?"

"...Is that so...?" Kurama left.

"**Even in round creatures there is half a soul..."**

**End chapter 60  
**Notes:  
1. Yeah... If you forgot about drug use in this fanfic... You're going to have to ask... Or look it up. I'm kind of trying not to look stuff up myself because I always get far off what I'm looking up...  
2. _The Juniper Tree_ and _Mary's Child_ are both tales from the Brothers Grimm. I'm serious, the original stories are actually really gruesome. They were changed because they were seen as inappropriate for children and thus came the tales we know. Look them up on wikipedia.  
3. America, no matter what you say, apple pie is not one hundred percent American. Seriously.  
4. That last quote was from Kurama. It's a Japanese proverb.

I started this a long time ago but I never finished. I keep looking at wikipedia. Stop it! Stop it, me! The next chapter is the last of this saga. After that it's going to be the last saga. So if you're still here, thanks a bunch for enduring my sappy-ness. I know I have the tendency to do that in my fics at some point.

Interview with JapanCat (Questions from me... To myself)  
Okay... So you remember Paco and Juanito the cat and dog in the beginning... What happened to them? _Uh... I forgot all about them. Sorry.  
_Why is Suzaku even involved in this fic and why is he friends with Hiei? _In the beginning this was supposed to be humorous but when they started getting romantic... It stopped. Especially after chapter thirty-something. But he was there for the sake of humor...  
_Man, JC! Why did you have to put Mukuro in here! And why does Yomi start being and ass after he marries her! Why is she such a bitch! This is when it stops being funny! _...I think she was here because I wanted to get her smacked around. I was still in my anti-Mukuro phase when this started so... But then she started getting important becuase then I started One More Time to Kill the Pain. Basically she's one of those weird characters. Yomi was here for humor. I needed a freaky guy to weird everything out. Plus I had that element in Yusuke the Detective so... Don't question my motives there because I don't remember.  
_Why doesn't Mukuro sound British anymore... In fact... When did she get that weird accent? (Remember, she has a British and German accent...) _I forgot... And when... She was seventeen when she developed the British one. She always had the German one.( Excuses, excuses...)_


	61. In the End

**Ride Like the Wind  
Chapter 61**

_Solomon Grundy,  
Born on a Monday,  
Christened on Tuesday,  
Married on Wednesday,  
Took ill on Thursday,  
Grew worse on Friday,  
Died on Saturday,_  
_Buried on Sunday.  
That was the end of_ _Solomon Grundy._

-.-.-

_It's finally happened..._ Kurama sighed as he plucked the grey hair out. _Happy belated nineteenth birthday, Shuichi. _He sighed and leaned towards the window. The sight of the snow turned his stomach and he turned around in his chair, eyes eyes glued to the floor, vaguely aware of the packed bags near his feet. He heard Kaitou's heavy footsteps going toward the door.

"Shuichi. Maya told me about what happened to the Doctor's wife. Listen... People die and you start feeling bad about it and... Oh, what's the use? I won't get anywhere with this speech. There's a ship leaving today if you really want to go home. I don't think you liked being here anyway. You just never seemed to act like it... And hell, I was a fool for even thinking you should have come with me. We're both fools, aren't we? No, I'm being cruel, I'm the only…" Kaitou stood in the doorway and groaned. He decided it was best that he didn't complete that thought at all. "So, I take it you will be going home?"

Suddenly, Sakyou came out of the closet, _Don Quixote_ _de la Mancha_ in his hands and he recited,

"So, good night unto you all.  
Give me your hands, if we be friends,  
And Robin shall restore amends."

"Damn it Sakyou! Can't you do anything that doesn't antagonize me? And what were you doing in the closet anyway?" Kaitou growled.

"I don't recall really. I just woke up in there. I had a lot to drink last night. It was a real drinking day yesterday. Didn't you feel it too? But I wasn't _listening_ to what you were saying. And even if I were, why should you even worry? I'm not a gossiping old woman that listens to people as they talk in their sleep. I could care less about your affairs. Maybe before I would have been since I don't know Shuichi well but with all this _chaos_ (I guess you can call it that...) going on, it doesn't matter."

"I was just running away, Kaitou. I think in the end we all were. So I'm going home. Don't expect me to come back anytime soon. Assuming that everyone in back in America goes to war with each other," Kurama whispered into his bags.

"You can stay. Things will get better. It's just that times are bad..." Kaitou was interrupted. "You know, if it's just that things have been going badly that made you want to leave. But otherwise…"

"I'll write. When I can."

"I'll come with you. I don't want you to feel lonely on the way home or anything."

"You don't need to follow me because you pity me. I think maybe... No..."

"Just don't worry too much about it anymore."

"I'm not... I just..." He walked out.

In the hall, Sakyou's voice echoed, "_Goodbye, Shuichi Minamino..._"

-.-.-

Kurama kneeled in front of Mukuro's grave once he found it. After a moment he started to pray until he heard footsteps approaching him. He didn't look up. He felt like it would kill him if he looked up. For that moment, he really wished it could have just been him at that empty grave.

The person couldn't disappear because Kurama wished he would. "Don't sit in the cold like that. You'll get sick."

Kurama looked up to see Yomi even though he already knew it was him. "What's in this grave? Or who? On second thought do I want to know if it's a who?"

"I don't know. If there's anything in there, I was never told anything about it. For all I know they could have thrown in a bunch of wine bottles."

"Didn't you go to her funeral?"

"No."

"No?"

"I couldn't. I saw no point in mourning over an empty coffin. It's not just pointless but it feels like we're not crying in the right place. Not that she'll have everyone in London at the funeral or anything. No one really knew who she was and of the people that knew her weren't really that fond of her for reasons we both can figure out on our own. I think it's kind of jumping the gun if we haven't even found her." The doctor crouched next to him and reached out to the grave then pulled back. Kurama realized why when he saw there was a bandage on his wrist.

"You cut yourself. You could die like that."

"I punished myself for being weak. If I could have been stronger then maybe this never would have happened. Yet... I feel more apathetic towards this 'death'. I basically had her 'killed' but I don't feel a thing. I do hope she's honestly dead. If she already has ulcers I can't imagine how she'll cope with that after getting shot in the stomach. She had more things wrong with her than I could manage and most of it was both of our faults. Right now… I really wish she did just take him." He paused, thinking he just said something tactless. "Take my coat. You're shivering." He took his coat and draped it over Kurama.

"You're not cold?"

"England's pretty warm in comparison to Scotland and Russia. I haven't been to Russia but Koenma insists that there's nowhere colder than where he's from. Where did you say you were from?"

"San Francisco. California."

"Cali- How did you end up in Boston and more importantly, how did you end here?"

"It's a long story. I don't understand it myself." He wrapped his arms tighter around himself as if to squeeze out the pain. _It didn't have to end like this… Why did it have to end this way? Why couldn't she just have pulled through like she always did?_

"Well... Listen, you can come over whenever you like for any reason. My door is always open if you need it to be. It must sound awkward to you because we don't know each other as well as I would have liked but… You shouldn't have to deal with all this pain in you alone. You've had enough to deal with for a while, and I know that you have. I can feel it. So, really, don't be afraid to come over."

"Thanks for the offer but I'm afraid I won't be taking it. I'm taking the next ride back to America. Then I won't have to be here pointlessly anymore."

"I know that you're smarter than that. You're not in your right mind. But I'd be damned if Shura or that guy from Peru is either. Well, the second one's debatable since he's never made a real decision yet. We've all gone a slippery slope."

"Hiei's Mexican. There's a big difference."

"Sure. Same thing."

"Peru's more south than Mexico."

"Okay. I'll agree with you."

"So... Where do you plan on going now?" Kurama finally turned around to look at him.

"I'll figure that out when I get there. I have to find Shura first before he can get going. When I woke up this morning he was missing. I think he forgot about his medication too. I really should get going." He patted Kurama on the shoulder. "So, I take it you gave up on your demon side? I don't feel any aura coming from you anymore. I didn't think about that until now."

"I don't just want to leave something like that without reason. Good luck."

"Take care. And one more thing..." He reached into his pocket and took and threw the object to the redhead. "You might need that."

"What is it?"

"I can't open it. I think it's a pocketwatch or something. I found it laying around and… You'll need it at one point, I'm sure. You can keep the coat too. I almost forgot about that. You'll probably need that for the ride home. Once again, I bid you adieu."

About five minutes passed and Hiei crouched next to Kurama after letting out a loud, "Oh!" of surprise. He glanced at Kurama and then back at the grave. They sat together in silence for a few minutes before Hiei broke the silence.

"You know... There are times when you should give yourself the permission to cry. I think now would be that time," Hiei whispered to Kurama. He got no answer. "Hey..."

"Let's not say anything. Just don't, Hiei." Kurama buried his face in his hands.

"I'm taking you home. You have everything you need packed up?"

"Whose home? Mine or yours?"

"Do you really have to ask? I can tell already that you just want to tell me to go to hell so I'll save you the trouble and won't come near you until you want to see me again. If that's even within either of our lifetimes. Just look at me." Kurama sighed. "Seriously! Look."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Are you some great philosopher or something? If you're talking to someone you should at least look at them or pretend to and fool the person you're talking to that you are. And when you think about it, did we ever look at each other?"

"Three years and you already see how messed up both of us are. And I doubt you ever realized just how one sided everything was with her. What was any of this anyway?"

"Screwed up as the rest of the world is. Too bad though... You know... Having taken everyone's crap for so long and not going completely nuts, I think I kind of respect her."

"I don't think 'Kind of' does her justice. And you should give her more credit. I would think you have more pain welling in you. I mean… You… You…"

"…I killed her."

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Don't act like you weren't. I know that's what you were thinking. And hell, I did just send her over here. If I wasn't the jack ass I was then none of this would have happened. I bet she would have been happier without ever seeing any of us. But… She never really was happy. Not when she was alone, and I think she was even worse after I just waltzed right over."

"Hiei…"

"No, I have to say this. It's her grave and I should at least just make peace with her right here. She might not be dead, she might be out there actually getting to live for once. _But this is still her grave, dammit _I just shoved my way over and forced myself into her life and kept shoving and shoving. Apparently after she met me, she started drinking more than she ever did. Hell, she might have spent more time wasted when we together."

"No… She really did like the company. It was just that you were involved with two people that upset her. And we both know that she really did love you. She never said it. She never acted like it but she really did. And she just really wished that you just loved her as much as she did you."

"You think so?"

"…Let's just go back to America."

"You look pale."

"Haven't slept or eaten much all week. I just feel wound up all day and I don't have much of an appetite anymore. Not that I ate much to begin with." Silence. "When's the next ride to America?"

"I think tomorrow."

"Well, then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Kurama walked away.

Hiei stared back at the grave and gave it a wry smile. _Feel like a fool left in the rain. I should go too. This place is giving me the creeps and I'm normally not the guy that crosses his fingers as he goes by a cemetery. Maybe it's just knowing this is a damn empty grave. I really wish she died. I don't want her out there running around there all crazy. It's one of those things that's worse than death._

"Hey!" Hiei looked up and turned in the direction the voice came from. He raised an eyebrow when he saw it was Shura.

"What do you want?" Hiei asked

"Well, I have something to give you. But you can't tell anyone that I gave it to you and you can't tell anyone until 1865."

"Okay... But what is it?" He started to lift the lid but Shura slammed the lid.

"Don't open it! You can't open it and neither can anyone else for that matter. I even made sure that I forgot what's in there so you can't force it out of me."

_How can you make yourself forget something...?_ "But when 1865?"

"That's thirteen years from now and Mao told me that that's the end of chaos for you. Actually, it's more of Kurama's time of peace. But the fate's basically twisted together." He nodded to himself confidently as if he just revealed all of man's unanswered questions.

"So what's the point of giving this to me? Is it a time whatever-you-call-it? And why can't I open it?"

"It's not finished." Shura suddenly gave a look of realization. "I have to go. Oh and when in doubt you should always write everything down and send it to someone so they can deal with your crap. And then you should always look towards the sun. I really have to go!"

Hiei started to lift the lid.

"And don't open it or a rainbow's going to crap a dead baby full of burning oil and it'll get all over you and..."

"Okay! I get it! I won't open the goddamn thing! Shit!" _Stupid kid._

-.-.-

"This is it?" Hiei asked as they stood in front of the door. He raised his hand to knock on the door though still waiting for an answer. "Is it?"

"Yeah. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you about that box..." Kurama replied dryly.

"I know as much as you do." He sighed and stepped back from the door. "You knock. Or don't you have a key at least." When he got no answer. "...You know, I never saw your mother. After all that fighting with Sensui to prove your innocence so she won't die, I've never seen her. But I guess I should kinda consider that a good thing. So just knock and she won't have to know I was ever here. People don't just disappear when there's new people that see them. You know what I mean? So if I want to erase myself all together the right way I won't let her know that I was here. Just knock. And don't tell her that there was some guy named Hiei with you and he never was with you and he never knew you. That guy you met in Mexico was just one of the hundreds of faceless, unnamed Mexicans that should have died back in '48. He could have been Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna for all you cared. Don't write. That address on that letter doesn't exist anymore. So don't even bother. Just don't."

Kurama finally stepped forward and knocked on the door. He couldn't hear Hiei's footsteps but he was aware that he was already on his way home. He knocked again but for some reason he couldn't stop even after he heard the barely recognizable voice calling, "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Just as the door swung open, he felt two tears escape his eyes.

"Shuichi, you're home! Oh, you look ill..." Shiori put on a hand on his forehead. "Do you have a fever...?"

Kurama embraced her and all the tears rushed out.

"Shuichi...?"

After the first week spend only in bed, the words "How do you feel" and "How was...today?" had lost all its meaning. Kurama started to notice that he was eating less. He used to eat five times a day (though they still were pretty small meals) but he was lucky to even finish two and he wasn't sleeping as well as he used to.

"I think I'm going back to Mexico. I think I've stayed here too long but I'll remember to write," Kurama finally declared at dinner. "And I'll come back when I can. I have some business to take care of there."

No one could think of anything to say to that. He understood but he left without saying anything more.

_Mother... Have I grown to be the good boy you wanted me to be? Am I a man or am I just being a fool? Mother... I'm sorry that I've been selfish. I think maybe it's time I disappear too... I'm sorry._

-.-.-

"Well, God speed then. I don't think your heart's really in this disappearing business. I don't think a man can disappear no matter how hard they try. You can go somewhere where no one knows your name but that doesn't erase you from history. If you're disappearing you have to be erased. You can't control the past. That's like saying Freedom is slavery. It just doesn't make sense. I think you just have to admit this whole Mukuro thing screwed us all up. But Yomi still says they haven't found her anywhere yet. That's still hopeful, right?" Koenma asked.

"They assume her dead. If anyone's figured out the right way to disappear it's her. She could've gone back to France for all we know. Or whatever the hell she was supposed to be. She could've gone to Demon World or something," Hiei replied. "And I would have thought that you would think death would be the better way for this to end."

"You know she can't. She couldn't pass through my barrier. If she really wanted to go she'd have to do a whole lot of nothing. But I think that still would do nothing for her."

"She's smarter than we think she is. She could've found some way in somehow. If she can pretend to be that sick in London then she sure as hell can disappear."

"That's true. Let's just leave that in the past. If it's meant to be figured out, it will. ...So where do you plan on going?" Koenma kept eying the box that was sitting on the bed. It took every sort of restrain to keep him from asking about it.

"How is it disappearing if anyone knows where I am?"

"Okay. I won't ask. If we ever see each other again... Do you want me to tell Yukina about you? She's been asking me for help finding her brother and I know it's you. I don't want to keep lying to her. It just feels wrong."

"I never intended to tell her. She doesn't know who the hell I am and that's fine. I don't want her to ever find out that her brother's a murderer."

"It was never proven. It was only assumed. But we can't prove it wasn't you. It's been so many years now. And they do say that dead men tell no tales. And you know that's why she got into law enforcement of all things, right? The case fascinated her and… Forget it."

"Forget it and forget me. I'll just be dust in the wind."

"Well... Find your peace somewhere and stay there unless you still need to fill this empty space or whatever you want to call it. If you stay, I might find you but it's not a given. Take care of yourself." Koenma left.

Hiei sighed and walked into his bedroom. _That's that. Well, it's time to..._ There was a knock at the door. _What, did he screw up his dramatic exit by forgetting something?_ "It's open!" There was another knock. "It's open!" The knocking continued. "Didn't you hear me?"

He heard the door creak and the shuffle of uneasy feet coming down the hall.

"Hiei?"

Hiei turned around to see Kurama. "Oh. It's you. I thought you were staying in California."

"I was bringing your shirt back. It doesn't smell right anymore."

"Wait, you actually took it? _And_ you _sniffed_ it? That's kind of gross. I really didn't think you were serious when you told me that you did that."

"It was fun when I took it. You still want it. You said I can keep it."

"You remember everything I say, don't you?"

"Sadly yes."

"Just leave it on the floor somewhere. I guess it'll start smelling right if you do that..."

"It's been since December, hasn't it?"

"Goddammit, Kurama. How the hell am I supposed to disappear if you're here?"

"What's the point of disappearing anyway? Why do you want to?"

"You don't need me anymore. That's all. After Sensui was all taken care of, you didn't need me anymore."

"You're... You don't make sense."

"I'm not meant to. None of are."

"You know, I never thanked you for everything really."

"Oh yeah? I didn't deserve it. What was this everything you're talking about? All I did for you was... Well, I didn't do anything for you. I was just angry and I still am. And I don't know why."

"I could cry..." Kurama dropped himself into a chair with his face in his hands

"You should just let yourself cry. Who's stopping you anymore? I know that you've got plenty of things to cry about. You really should just let it all go." Silence. "Is this the part where I tell you, 'Welcome home'?"

And the wind replied in its nonchalant way, "I don't know. I don't know."

-.-.-

January 1853

"Oh, Kazuma! You're back!" Yukina rushed to Kuwabara and hugged him, causing him to blush.

"Um, wow... Yukina..." was all he managed to force out of himself.

"I was so worried because I forgot that you said you were going to England. But I'm so glad you're okay. You sister told me it was a really dangerous situation so I prayed five times a day for you all."

"I'm glad."

"If I knew you were coming sooner I would planned a party for you. Oh but then Valentine's Day is coming too... I think we could have a banquet that day and invite Mr. Hiei, Mr Kurama and Mr Yusuke and that doctor and his son and that woman that we met on Christmas too. (But I do feel bad that I can't remember their names.) And we can have another one for spring and we can meet out at my friend Genkai's home and see the sights in Mexico. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Yeah..." _Only the future's not that bright. One dead and the other two going who knows where. Is there such a thing of having a perfect moment right now?_

"Kazuma, you don't look good..."

"Did you ever find your brother?"

"No, but I will someday. I think he's out there waiting for me to find him. To tell you the truth, I was feeling sad and thought I would never find him when I was captured by that mayor. But when you all saved me, I realized how great the world is and hopeful it is. I'm so happy I met you."

_Kids can dream so why can't we?_

-.-.-

Same month, same year.

"Hey, old man. Looks like it's just you and me now. Mukuro's doing her own thing again, so I'll just have to make sure you're still good here..." Yusuke brushed the snow off Raizen's grave. _Let's see everything started happening in '49. It's '53 now. Been four years. Didn't I say I was coming back to Mexico this year? I don't think I thought about it. I wonder if Keiko's happy right now and if she found Mr. Prissy-boy A.K.A. Prince Charming._

"So this is Boston..."

Yusuke twisted around to see Keiko standing behind him, hands on her hips. "Keiko, how did you...?"

"I looked around in New York. Someone told me you left with some Raizen who lives here in Boston. It took me a long time to find you..."

"Why'd you look for me...?"

"What, you think going away to New York and not sending me a letter isn't going to make me worried? I know I told you that I hated how you're too strange but I think maybe that's all I really need. I guess."

"Who told you to look for me?" More of a statement than a question.

"No one. I just wanted to make sure you were still in one piece. I heard everybody's getting rowdy there. New York I mean. It was a lot of trouble going out and finding you. I had to tell people that I had brother I was looking for so I wouldn't look strange walking alone/ So... Care to show me around or are you just going to leave me out here in the snow?"

Yusuke glanced back at the grave and then jumped to his feet. _Well, there's always forgiveness isn't there?_

_Although things can shatter it doesn't mean that they can't be fixed..._

**End chapter 61  
End part 2**

Notes:  
1. Don Quixote de la Mancha- I didn't get much of the story but it's something about a guy that read too many books so he thinks he's a knight. The whole thing is like the equivalent of Shakespear to English speakers. So says my Spanish teacher. (But she also said in Mexico they don't use "we' either.)  
2. Genkai is still around. We all forgot she was here. Sorry, Genkai. You were so awesome even if you had no role.

Gah! It's slow but it's long.

Interview again!  
_Why did you day that you refuse to write accents yet you put in a southern accent? In fact, you do realize your Japanese was all wrong?_ I realized the first one last week. I guess I can't do a good accent if I'm aware I'm doing it. As for number two, my sister told me that one. I'll fix it one day.  
_Isn't homosexuality illegal in this time?_ In England it was illegal until 1967. I don't know about America. That's why this fanfic is so messed up. If I think things through it might be right but you have someone who goes with what she thinks she knows.  
_What's the point of having Yusuke and Kuwabara?_ I thought in the beginning it was going to be an action fic but it wasn't. Sorry Togashi and Funimation. But you don't know this exists.

**Hey, this is me in 2010. I was about thirteen when I put pen to paper and started writing this. It's been five or six years then! And I know that this is crap. I went and decided this should just end here. There are some questions I created and I don't know the answers to them anymore. I really just wanted to give this the ending it deserved. On a somewhat related note, I actually went through about three different endings as I wrote this. One was Kurama and Hiei just separating and then they get together later on. Another, same thing except Kurama finds out that Hiei's married to Mukuro and they have kids. Last one was where I was working towards originally in which Hiei dies from some disease, Shura kills himself for some reason, Yomi kills himself because Shura kills himself, Mitarai's blinded for some reason, and then the other three are all battle torn. Someone who gets to this chapter long after this is published will not know what I mean by any of this. XD  
I'm planning on going back and fixing all my errors sometime in the future. I don't know if any of you are planning on sticking around for that or if you wanna forget all about this. But those of you who waited, I'm sorry. I really am so sorry that I put you through this. Thanks for reading. I left my notes here in tact just because of nostalgia. I might meet you again, who knows. but thanks. And again, I'm sorry.**


End file.
